At least 6 killed in stampede after thousands showed up for Ghana military recruitment

Thursday, November 13, 2025 - At least six people have d!ed during a crowd crush at a military recruitment event in a stadium in Ghana.

According to BBC, the unfortunate incident occurred as Thousands of Ghanaian youths queued overnight at Accra’s El Wak Stadium on Tuesday, November 11, for the Ghana Armed Forces’ 2025 recruitment screening.

The "tragic" crush appeared to have been caused by "an unexpected surge of applicants who breached security protocols and rushed into the gates," said a statement from Ghana's armed forces.

Army spokesperson Capt Veronica Adzo Arhin said the crush occurred ahead of the event's scheduled start of 06:20 GMT.

Twenty-two others were injured, including five who remain in critical condition.

Viral video from the scene shows a large number of applicants in long queues outside the stadium. 

Ghana has a youth unemployment rate of about 32%, the latest government statistics show, and such recruitment events normally draw large crowds and often result in chaotic scenes.

According to BBC, the deadline to apply for this event was extended by a week to accommodate more applicants, as some had experienced difficulties in the process.