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

No fewer than six people have died during a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a release from Ghana's armed forces.

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

Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.

The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.

The deadline to submit applications for this recruitment was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place ahead of the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

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

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