A deadly crush erupted at El‑Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Wednesday as thousands of hopeful recruits surged toward the gates for the 2025/2026 Ghana Armed Forces recruitment drive.
The chaos left six potential soldiers dead and many more injured, with frantic scenes captured on social media showing long queues and desperate jostling from as early as 2 a.m.
The tragedy unfolded around 6:20 am when the crowd broke through security barriers, overwhelming the entry point.
Acting Director‑General of Public Relations, Colonel Evelyn Asamoah, confirmed the grim toll.
“The Ghana Armed Forces deeply regrets to inform the general public of a tragic stampede prior to the commencement of the 2025/2026 recruitment exercise today, Wednesday, 12th November 2025, at the El‑Wak Sports Stadium, Accra,” she said in a statement posted on the force’s X account.
She added: “Preliminary investigations indicate that the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates ahead of the scheduled screening at about 0620 hours.”
Col. Asamoah emphasized that the injured are receiving emergency care at 37 Military Hospital.
“The unfortunate incident led to the death of six potential recruits and many others injured. The injured are currently receiving emergency medical care at the 37 Military Hospital.
“The Ghana Armed Forces assures the general public that medical teams are working tirelessly to stabilise affected individuals,” she said.
She also noted that families of the deceased are being contacted and that the military extends its “deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a swift recovery to those injured.”
Meanwhile, the military has launched an investigation into the breach and crowd‑control failures.
Authorities said the recruitment deadline had been extended by a week due to technical glitches on the online portal, hoping to give more applicants a chance.
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