No Fewer Than 6 Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Drive

No fewer than 6 individuals have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.

22 others were injured, including five who are in critical condition.

Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.

Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.