ACCRA MAY 9TH 2001 STADIUM DISASTER

Abstract
• This poster is about the May 9th 2001 stadium disaster which occurred in Accra, Ghana leading to the death of 126 people. It highlights the
risk, safety and governance issues that led to this disaster. Selected and appropriate pictures of this incident are also included.
Risk Issues Safety Issues
*Kotoko fans destroyed the plastic seats and threw them into the *Ambulances provided were not
running track surrounding the pitch. enough and even left before the
end of the match.
*Police fired tear gas into the crowd. This was based on their
training and institutional culture (Turner’s stage I Notionality) *Private cars were used to convey
victims to hospitals.
*Panic ensued as gas spread and fans scrambled for the exits which
were locked causing many to suffocate and crushed to death. *Police personnel provided were
not enough to control the crowd.
*Health facility at the stadium was locked before the end of the
match. * Risk analysis was conducted prior
to the commencement of the
*The stadium exceeded its capacity of 40,000 and lacked basic
match.
safety measures (Johnson 2001)
Governance Issues *The use of the public address
*It was a big lapse on the part of management to allow the system should have been explore
ambulances and the paramedics to leave the stadium before the instead of firing tear gas.
*end of the match. * Sale of ticket should have been
*The decision to lock up the exits during the match was extremely done before the day of the match.
dangerous and led to the stampede.

*President of Ghana called emergency Cabinet meeting and

declared 3 days of national mourning

*A committee of inquiry was set up to investigate the disaster.

The following were identified as
*The committee recommended the prosecution of the police vulnerable and should be catered
personnel who fired the tear gas. for; the aged, women, children
and disabled.
*The committee also recommended the set up of a fund to cater
for the victims of the disaster.

*The committee recommended a tightening of police training and

discipline.
 Iddrisu Sumani SID NO. 3369397

• M38GED Risk, Safety and Governance- 1011SEP.

• Critically analyse the key conceptual models of safety culture and error management as it applies to risk in various
operating environment.
• critically evaluate the relationship between risk management, strategy and governance from a leadership
perspective.
• Critically explore hazard, risk, vulnerability and resilience and the importance of accurate assessment,
communication and management of risks in business, environment and society.
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Annati and Bonsignore (2003) “None-lethal weapons: possibilities, programmes, perspectives and problems”:48
• Reason J (1998), “Achieving a safety culture: theory and practice”( Manchester: University of Manchester, Psychology
Department)
• INTERNET SITES
• Johnson T. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/may2001/gana-m12.shtml
• http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Football-Stadium-Disasters-206335.html
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/1324946.stm
• http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=81722