Ghana seems to have an unpleasant history with Wednesdays over the past two decades, as the day is often associated with tragic and sorrowful events.

Due to its association with major disasters and tragedies that have deeply affected families and Ghanaians, the day has been nicknamed “Black Wednesday.”

The nickname reflects mourning, sorrow, grief, and pain, capturing the enduring impact of these tragedies on the country’s collective memory.

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Over the last twenty years, Ghana has experienced far too many “Black Wednesdays,” leaving scars that continue to haunt both the families of victims and the country as a whole.

This article chronicles some of the most devastating Wednesdays in recent memory.

Wednesday, May 9, 2001 – Accra Sports Stadium

On this fateful day, what was meant to be a football match for fans of Ghana’s two most successful and rival teams, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, turned into a major disaster when a stampede occurred.

127 Ghanaian football fans died in the stampede caused by the firing of teargas by police following a decision by the referee in the crucial match leading to crowd disturbances.

In an attempt to control the crowd, the police fired tear gas into the stands and gates, which were locked tightly, leaving many fans with nowhere to take refuge. According to doctors, many of them died from compressive asphyxia.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012 – Melcom Building Collapse

On November 7, 2012, the Achimota-Neoplan branch of the Melcom Shopping Center, one of the largest stores in the country, collapsed, trapping workers and customers inside.

The multi-storey building, which collapsed due to faulty construction, claimed the lives of 14 people.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015 - Circle Disaster

Ghana was hit with one of its deadliest disasters in 2015, after torrential rains on the evening of June 3, 2015, led to massive flooding at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra.

The flood, which had engulfed buildings, vehicles and key installments in the area, was compounded by a sudden explosion at the Goil filing station opposite the Vienna City.

The explosion, which was later reported to have resulted from leaking fuel from the Goil filing station, spread wildly on the flood waters, setting ablaze victims who were being washed away by violent rushing waters.

The incident led to the deaths of hundreds of victims who were unfortunately caught between the horrible events of wild fires and neck-high flood waters.

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 - Helicopter Crash

Eight lives were lost on August 6, 2025, when a Z-9 military helicopter lost altitude and crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region.

The helicopter, flying from Accra to Obuasi for the launch of the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), went off radar before crashing.

Onboard were five officials including two cabinet ministers and three crew members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).

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Wednesday, November 12, 2025 – El-Wak Stampede

A military recruitment exercise turned fatal when six females died in a stampede at the El-Wak Sports Stadium.

The military attributed the incident to an unexpected surge in applicants who thronged the stadium. It added that some applicants breached security protocols and rushed the stadium gates even before the scheduled start of the exercise.

Many of the applicants were left injured, with some still in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the 37 Military Hospital.

MAG/EB

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