A 34-year-old football player from Subang lost his life after being hit by lightning during a match in Indonesia.
The incident occurred at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java, while he was participating in a friendly game between 2 FLO FC Bandung and FBI Subang.
A video capturing the dreadful moment when the player collapsed has gone viral, eliciting an outpour of condolences from the football community.
One of the users commented on “X”: “RIP to that player.”
“This is the stuff of my nightmares. I lived through the San Francisco ‘Quake of ’89’ that ended game 3 of the Baseball World Series,” wrote another.
A third replied: “That’s awful and condolences. In my referee days, I always kept an eye on the weather, it’s in the FIFA manual I believe. For exactly this reason. Don’t know if that was possible here or if there was a ref. This video will make its way to FIFA and ref associations everywhere.”
Despite being rushed to the hospital while still breathing, the player succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
This marks the second instance in the past year where an Indonesian footballer has fallen victim to a lightning strike.
In 2023, a 21-year-old Brazilian footballer was also struck by lightning while on the pitch in Brazil.
Caio Henrique de Lima Goncalves, 21, was playing for his Uniao Jaiirense team in a cup fixture in the southern state of Parana when he was jolted by the lightning strike
He was rushed to hospital after collapsing on the pitch, but he later died of his injuries.
Six other players on the pitch were also struck by the bolt of lightning and spent time in the hospital afterward.
