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At least six individuals have lost their lives during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event held in a sports arena in Ghana.

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

22 others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.

Thousands had gathered at the El-Wak sports venue, 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 recruitment events normally draw large crowds and frequently lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had faced difficulties in the application procedure.

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

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

Calm has been reestablished, and the recruitment exercise has now begun.