No Fewer Than Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Military Recruitment Event

No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.

The midweek "tragic" event seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.

Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in serious state.

A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the military.

The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events normally attract large crowds and often lead to disorderly situations.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

The nation's leader John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.

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