Tragedy struck at a military recruitment drive in Accra, Ghana, as a crowd crush at El-Wak Stadium left at least six people dead and 22 others injured, five of them critically. The incident occurred Wednesday morning when a surge of applicants breached security and rushed through the gates, according to the Ghana Armed Forces.
Thousands had gathered for the event, drawn by hopes of joining the military amid Ghana’s youth unemployment rate of roughly 32%. The recruitment deadline had been extended by a week to accommodate applicants who experienced difficulties with the process, which may have contributed to the unusually large turnout.
Army spokesperson Capt. Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush happened before the scheduled 06:20 GMT start of the exercise. The day also saw a separate incident in Kumasi, where five people were injured at another recruitment session, regional official Dr. Frank Amoakohene reported.
At Accra’s 37 Military Hospital, families anxiously awaited news of their loved ones. Scenes of grief and panic unfolded as security officers worked to control the crowd, while relatives wept outside emergency wards. Ghana’s President John Mahama later visited the injured, underscoring the gravity of the incident.
Despite the tragedy, the recruitment exercise briefly continued but was suspended in the afternoon to implement additional safety measures. Capt. Arhin confirmed that an investigation into the circumstances of the crush will be launched to prevent similar incidents in the future.
