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At least 6 individuals have died amid a crowd crush at a military recruitment gathering held in a stadium in the West African nation.

The Wednesday's "devastating" incident appeared to have been caused by "a sudden rush of applicants who overcame security measures and rushed into the entrances," announced a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

Twenty-two additional individuals were hurt, among them 5 who are in serious state.

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

The country has a youth unemployment rate of approximately 32%, the most recent official data show, and such enlistment drives typically attract massive gatherings and often lead to chaotic scenes.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a week to allow for more applicants, as a number had experienced challenges in the application procedure.

Military representative Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush took place before the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

Ghana's President John Mahama has gone to see the wounded in hospital.

Calm has been restored, and the enlistment process has since begun.