Six Dead in Stampede at El-Wak Stadium during Military Recruitment
By Praisebell Rosmond Larbi
At least six people have been confirmed dead following a stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, during a military recruitment exercise organised by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
According to an official statement from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the incident occurred around 6:20 a.m. when an unexpected surge of applicants breached security protocols and forced their way through the gates ahead of the scheduled screening.
Eyewitnesses say thousands of young job seekers had thronged the venue from the early hours of the morning, eager to participate in the ongoing nationwide recruitment. However, the situation turned tragic when the crowd surged toward the main entry points, overwhelming security personnel stationed at the gates.
Amid intense pushing and jostling, several applicants reportedly fell and were trampled upon, leading to chaos and panic. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, but six people were pronounced dead upon arrival at the 37 Military Hospital. Several others sustained various degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment at the hospital’s casualty ward.
Security officers have since cordoned off the area, while military personnel have blocked all major access routes leading to the stadium to restore order and facilitate rescue operations.
The tragic incident comes days after the Ghana Armed Forces extended the recruitment deadline by one week following technical challenges on its online application portal. The extension, announced in a statement signed by Colonel Evelyn Ntiamoah Asamoah, Acting Director General of Public Relations, was meant to give applicants additional time to complete their registration process.
“The Ghana Armed Forces has extended the deadline for the ongoing recruitment exercise by one week due to some technical challenges encountered on the recruitment portal during the initial period,” the statement said.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the stampede, but preliminary reports suggest inadequate crowd control measures and the overwhelming turnout may have contributed to the tragedy.
Investigations are expected to be launched immediately to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and to prevent similar occurrences in future recruitment exercises.
