At least six die in crush at Ghana military recruitment event

At least six people were killed during a stampede during a military recruitment ceremony at a stadium in Ghana.

A Ghana Armed Forces statement said Wednesday’s “tragic” stampede appeared to have been caused by “an unexpected increase in the number of applicants who violated security protocols and rushed to the gates.”

22 others were injured, including five in critical condition.

Thousands of people headed to the Alwak Stadium in the capital, Accra, hoping to join the army.

Latest government statistics put Ghana’s youth unemployment rate at around 32%, and these recruitment events usually attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The application deadline for this event has been extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some experienced difficulties in the process.

Army spokeswoman Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the start of the event scheduled for 06:20 GMT.

Calm has returned, and the recruitment process has now begun.