A tragic stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra has claimed six lives and left several others injured during the 2025/2026 Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise.
In a statement issued by the Department of Public Relations, the Ghana Armed Forces said the incident occurred around 6:20 a.m. when a large crowd of eager applicants breached security protocols and forced their way through the stadium gates ahead of the scheduled screening.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who rushed into the gates ahead of scheduled screening at about 0620 hours,” the statement read.
The injured persons are currently receiving emergency treatment at the 37 Military Hospital, where medical teams are working tirelessly to stabilize their conditions.
The GAF extended its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. The statement, signed by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations, also assured the public that investigations are ongoing and updates will be provided in due course.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that poor crowd control may have worsened the situation. Military police deployed to manage the exercise reportedly opened only one side of the double gate, forcing thousands of applicants to push through a single entry point — a factor that may have triggered the deadly crush.
Sources say some victims sustained severe injuries, including broken limbs and necks, before passing away.
The Ghana Armed Forces has since cordoned off the area and promised to review its recruitment protocols to prevent similar tragedies in future exercises.
