No Fewer Than Six Lose Their Lives in Crowd Crush at Ghanaian Military Recruitment Drive

At least six individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in Ghana.

The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered 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, including 5 who remain in critical condition.

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the military.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the most recent official data indicate, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and frequently result in disorderly situations.

The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had faced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede 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 hospital.

Order has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.