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No fewer than 6 individuals have died during a stampede at a armed forces enlistment event held in a stadium in Ghana.

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

22 others were injured, among them five who remain in serious state.

Thousands had turned up at El-Wak stadium, in the capital, Accra, with the aspiration of joining the military.

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about thirty-two percent, the most recent official data indicate, and such recruitment events normally attract massive gatherings and frequently lead to disorderly situations.

The closing date to submit applications for this event was extended by a seven days to accommodate additional candidates, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the stampede occurred before the planned commencement time of 6:20 AM Greenwich Mean Time.

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

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