At Least Six Perish in Stampede at Ghana Armed Forces Enlistment Event

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

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

Twenty-two others were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.

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

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

The deadline to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had faced difficulties in the process.

Army spokesperson Captain 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 injured in medical care.

Order has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now begun.