No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Armed Forces Enlistment Event

No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "devastating" event seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of candidates who breached security protocols and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.

22 others were hurt, among them five who remain in critical condition.

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

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to disorderly situations.

The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the process.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in medical care.

Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has since started.