Stampede at Ghana army recruitment event kills 6, wounds 22

Six killed in a stampede in Accra, Ghana. [File, Courtesy]

At least six people were crushed to death on Wednesday after a crowd of job seekers surged through stadium gates during a military recruitment event in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, the army said.

"The unfortunate incident led to the death of six potential recruits," it said in a statement.

Twenty-two others were wounded in the stampede, with at least five in critical condition, Ghana military hospital official Evelyn Abraham-Kwabiah told AFP.

The Ghana Armed Forces stated that the stampede occurred around 6:20 am (GMT) when an unexpected surge of applicants "breached security protocols and rushed" through the gates of the El-Wak Sports Stadium ahead of the scheduled screening.

In addition to normal military activities, soldiers in Ghana are also tasked with targeting illegal mining operations in the gold-rich West African country.