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At least six people have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," stated a release from the nation's military.

22 additional individuals were injured, among them five who are in critical condition.

A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, the capital, with the hope of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The deadline to apply for this recruitment was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.

Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the injured in medical care.

Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since started.