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No fewer than 6 people have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two others were hurt, including 5 who are in serious state.

A large crowd had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.

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

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred before the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in medical care.

Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.