The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has confirmed the death of six prospective recruits following a tragic stampede during the commencement of its 2025/2026 recruitment exercise at the El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
In a press release signed by Colonel Evelyn Ntiamoah Asamoah, Acting Director-General of Public Relations, GAF stated that the incident occurred around 6:20 a.m. after an unexpected surge of applicants breached security barriers and rushed into the gates ahead of the scheduled screening time.
“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 around 0620 hours,” the statement read.
According to the release, six people lost their lives, while several others sustained varying degrees of injury. The injured individuals are currently receiving emergency medical attention at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.
“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,” GAF noted, assuring the public that medical teams are working tirelessly to stabilise the affected individuals.
The Armed Forces further disclosed that arrangements are being made to contact and inform the families of the deceased. It also extended its condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
“The Ghana Armed Forces extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a swift recovery to those injured. Further updates will be communicated,” the statement concluded.
The tragic incident has sparked national concern about crowd control measures during recruitment exercises, with calls for GAF to review its screening processes to prevent future occurrences.
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