Footballer struck dead by lightning in the middle of a match

A footballer has died after being struck by a lightning bolt while playing football in Indonesia on Saturday.

Video captured the exact moment the 35-year-old male victim from Subang collapsed at Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java.

The man, later identified as Septain Raharja, was competing in a friendly football match between 2 FLO FC Bandung and FBI Subang, when lightning struck him at around 4:20pm local time on Saturday. 

Reports by local media PRFM News say that he was still breathing after the incident and rushed to a local hospital, but died after suffering intense burns. 

The video clip has since gone viral on social media, with football fans and players offering their condolences.

‘RIP to that player,’ commented one X user.

‘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 it’s way to FIFA and ref associations everywhere.’

Several teams in Indonesia were seen taking a moment of silence in Septain’s memory. 

A match between FBI Mageland and Erka began with players bowing their heads to commemorate the fallen sportsman. 

An analysis of the strike by Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) revealed that the cloud the lightning came from was just 300m above the stadium when it struck. 

The tragic incident is the second time an Indonesian footballer has been struck by lightning in the last 12 months.

A young football player in Bojonegoro, East Java was struck by lightning during the Soeratin U-13 Cup in 2023.

The player, who suffered cardiac arrest, was rushed off the field and taken to the Ibnu Sina Hospital in Bojonegoro for medical treatment.

The youngster was successfully revived after medical assistance and regained consciousness after approximately 20 minutes.