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At least 6 people have lost their lives amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment gathering held in a sports arena in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "devastating" event appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who overcame security measures and stormed the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two additional individuals were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.

A large crowd had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the main city, Accra, with the aspiration of enlisting in the military.

The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives normally draw large crowds and frequently result in chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was prolonged for a week to allow for additional candidates, as some had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

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

Calm has been reestablished, and the enlistment process has now started.