Speaker of Parliament Alban S. K. Bagbin has visited survivors of the El-Wak Stadium stampede that claimed six lives during a Ghana Armed Forces recruitment exercise in Accra.
Mr. Bagbin, who was accompanied by members of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, met with the injured recruits at the 37 Military Hospital, where he expressed sympathy and solidarity on behalf of Parliament. He commended the medical team for their swift response and urged the public to remain calm as investigations continue.
The tragedy occurred on Wednesday morning when thousands of young applicants gathered at the El-Wak Sports Stadium for the 2025–2026 military recruitment exercise.
The large crowd reportedly surged toward the gates, causing a deadly crush that left six people dead and 28 others injured.
Five victims are in critical condition at the 37 Military Hospital Intensive Care Unit, while 12 others are being treated for serious injuries. The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue.
Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as security personnel struggled to control the crowd. The situation was worsened by the recent extension of the recruitment deadline, which officials said had drawn even more applicants to the venue.
Colonel Evelyn Ntiamoah Asamoah, Acting Director General of Public Relations for the Ghana Armed Forces, confirmed that reports of 12 deaths were inaccurate, stating that the official death toll remains six.
Following the incident, the Ghana Armed Forces has suspended recruitment activities in the Greater Accra Region to review safety measures and prevent a recurrence. A Board of Inquiry has been established to investigate the cause of the stampede.
“The Armed Forces deeply regrets any inconvenience this suspension may have caused, particularly to affected applicants,” said Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations for the Ghana Navy.
Recruitment exercises in the country’s other 15 regions will continue as planned, while a new date will be announced for the resumption of the Accra process.
