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At least 6 people have lost their lives during a stampede at a military recruitment gathering held in a sports arena in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "tragic" incident seems to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of candidates who overcame security measures and rushed into the gates," stated a release from Ghana's armed forces.

22 others were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.

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

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the most recent government statistics indicate, and such recruitment events typically draw massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.

The closing date to apply for this event was prolonged for a week to accommodate additional candidates, as a number had experienced difficulties in the application procedure.

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

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

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