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

The Wednesday's "tragic" event seems to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.

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

Thousands had gathered at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the hope of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of approximately thirty-two percent, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and often result in chaotic scenes.

The deadline to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the planned commencement time of 06:20 GMT.

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

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