At Least Six Perish in Crowd Crush at Ghana Military Recruitment Event

Event location — Thousands Assembled at the Venue in the Capital

At least six people have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.

22 additional individuals were hurt, including 5 who remain in critical condition.

Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, the capital, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.

The country has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often result in disorderly situations.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.

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

Ghana's President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.

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