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At least six individuals have died during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" incident appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," announced a release from the nation's military.

22 others were hurt, among them 5 who remain in critical condition.

Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, the capital, with the hope of joining the armed forces.

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such enlistment drives typically attract large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.

The closing date to apply for this recruitment was prolonged for a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush took place before the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.

The nation's leader John Mahama has gone to see the injured in hospital.

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