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No fewer than six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of candidates who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from the nation's military.

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

Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, in the capital, Accra, with the hope of enlisting in the armed forces.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data indicate, and such recruitment events typically attract massive gatherings and frequently result in disorderly situations.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for additional candidates, as some had faced difficulties in the process.

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

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

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