Soccer Player Struck by Lightning During Match Dies... Waves of Condolences from All Walks of Life

A football player was struck by lightning and died during a match in Indonesia.

On the 12th (local time), the Daily Mail reported that on the 10th at around 4:20 PM, Septian Raharja (35) was struck by lightning and died during a friendly match held at Siliwangi Stadium in the Bandung area of western Java Island, Indonesia. Raharja was known to be a player for Persikas Subang, a club in Indonesia's Liga 3 (third division).

A soccer player was struck by lightning and died during a match in Indonesia. [Image source=X (formerly Twitter)]

원본보기 아이콘

Footage of the incident shows lightning striking directly above Raharja, who was standing in the middle of the field. His teammates quickly ran toward him, and Raharja was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately passed away. Witnesses at the scene reported that Raharja’s uniform was torn and he suffered severe burns on his body.

As the video spread on social media, football fans and players expressed their condolences. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "This is truly a terrible incident. Rest in peace, football player." Indonesian football teams also paid tribute to Raharja by observing a moment of silence before their matches. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) analyzed that the lightning originated from clouds just 300 meters above the stadium.

This is not the first time a football player has been struck by lightning on the field. In December last year, during a regional amateur football tournament in Paran?, southern Brazil, lightning struck, causing five players to collapse on site, with one 21-year-old player dying.

Additionally, in May 2021, a 9-year-old boy practicing football in the UK was struck by lightning and died. The boy, who belonged to a junior team, was reportedly practicing alone outside of official training hours when he was struck.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.