At Least Six Lose Their Lives in Stampede at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive

At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.

The midweek "devastating" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.

Twenty-two others were injured, among them 5 who remain in serious state.

Thousands had turned up at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.

The country has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.

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

The nation's leader President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.

Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.