Six die in Ghana military recruitment stampede at El Wak Stadium, highlighting youth unemployment crisis.

A recruitment exercise for the Ghana Armed Forces ended in tragedy on Tuesday, November 11, when a stampede at Accra’s El Wak Stadium claimed at least six lives.  

Thousands of young people had gathered overnight, hoping to secure a spot in the 2025 screening exercise. 

But before the official start time of 6:20 GMT, chaos broke out as a surge of applicants forced their way through the gates, overwhelming security.  

The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed the incident, describing it as a “tragic crush” caused by the breach of protocols. Army spokesperson Capt. 

Veronica Adzo Arhin revealed that 22 others were injured, with five in critical condition.  

Videos circulating online show endless queues of desperate applicants outside the stadium, highlighting the pressure of youth unemployment in Ghana, which currently stands at about 32%. Recruitment drives like this often attract massive crowds, sometimes leading to disorder.  

Authorities had earlier extended the application deadline by a week to accommodate more candidates, following complaints about difficulties in the process. Sadly, the extension only added to the already overwhelming turnout.