The family of 24-year-old Matilda Midorse (also referred to as “Midorse Matilda” on social media) is in mourning after she was reported to have died during a chaotic recruitment exercise at the El‑Wak Sports Stadium in Accra.

The event formed part of the recruitment drive for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

The stampede, which occurred on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, early in the morning when thousands of hopeful applicants gathered, led to the deaths of six young women, with several others injured.

Friends and family of Matilda took to social media to express grief and pay tribute.

One TikTok user known as “AMG Bengee” posted a video with Matilda’s photos and questioned why the recruitment forms had been sold for months, but the screening was scheduled for a single day.

According to the GAF, the stampede was triggered by an unexpected surge of applicants who rushed the gates ahead of the screening process starting around 06:20 hrs.

President John Dramani Mahama has expressed deep sorrow over the incident, confirming that six young women lost their lives and more than a dozen applicants were injured in the incident.

He described the event as a “heartbreaking loss for the entire nation.”

 Local parliamentarian John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South, has called for an immediate halt to all recruitment processes until a full review is conducted and safety protocols are improved.

Friends described Matilda as “lovely and charismatic,” lamenting that the ambitions and hopes of a young woman eager to serve have been cut short.

As the investigation unfolds, families are left grappling with pain, questions remain about crowd management and safety measures, and hope is dimmed for many of those who went seeking opportunity