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No fewer than 6 people have died amid a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," announced a statement from the nation's military.

22 additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the armed forces.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events normally draw massive gatherings and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

The closing date to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

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

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

Order has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now started.