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At least six people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.

The midweek "devastating" incident seems to have been triggered by "a sudden rush of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the gates," stated a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

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

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

Ghana has a rate of joblessness among young people of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such recruitment events typically draw large crowds and often result in disorderly situations.

The deadline to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the process.

Military representative Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin stated the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

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

Calm has been restored, and the recruitment exercise has since started.