Twelve potential recruits have now been confirmed dead in a stampede at El-Wak Sports Stadium in Accra on Wednesday, November 12, during a Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) recruitment exercise.
GhNewsPage.Com sources report that the bodies of the deceased have been taken to the 37 Military Hospital morgue, while other victims are undergoing treatment at the hospital’s emergency unit.
Security personnel quickly cordoned off the area and blocked major roads leading to the stadium to maintain order and facilitate rescue operations.
The military earlier confirmed that six people had died from the stampede but Channel One TV has gathered that six more people have been confirmed dead with several others in the ICU.
Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, the Ghana Armed Forces revealed that the chaos erupted as thousands of young applicants, eager to secure enlistment into the military, surged toward the stadium gates.
The combination of large crowds, insufficient crowd management, and intense jostling triggered the stampede, leaving victims trapped and injured in the ensuing panic.
The recruitment exercise had been extended by a week after its initial deadline of October 31, following technical challenges on the online application portal.
In a statement, Colonel Evelyn Ntiamoah Asamoah, Acting Director General of Public Relations for the GAF, said the extension was meant to give all applicants a fair opportunity to participate.
“The Ghana Armed Forces has extended the deadline for the ongoing recruitment exercise by one week due to some technical challenges encountered on the recruitment portal during the initial period,” the statement read.
Local authorities and the military are expected to launch an in-depth investigation into the incident, with the aim of preventing similar occurrences during future recruitment drives. Meanwhile, residents and relatives of the victims are calling for stricter safety measures and better planning for large-scale events involving public gatherings.
