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At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a armed forces enlistment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.

The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been triggered by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and stormed the entrances," stated a statement from the nation's military.

22 additional individuals were injured, including five who remain in serious state.

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

The country has a rate of joblessness among young people of about 32%, the latest official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to disorderly situations.

The deadline to apply for this event was extended by a seven days to allow for more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.

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

The nation's leader President John Mahama has visited the wounded in hospital.

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