He is the second Indonesian player to be struck by lightning in 12 months
In a shocking incident, a footballer died after being hit by lightning during a match in Indonesia. The incident happened on Saturday, February 10, when 35-year-old Septian Raharja was competing in a friendly match between FC Bandung and FBI Subang, Metro reported.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media shows the footballer collapsing in the middle of the field after a lightning bolt hit him during the match. Local reports said that he was still breathing after the incident and rushed to a local hospital, but died after suffering intense burns.
People on social media were left shocked by the video, and football fans and players offered their condolences. Several Indonesian teams also maintained a moment of silence in his memory.
One user wrote, ''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.''
Another commented, ''During thunderstorms don't be in open ground and play. The same applies to beaches and ponds and rivers.'' A third added, ''Lightning continues to be one of the dangerous hazards to the humans. Outdoor activities should be entertained only with safety measures during the Thunderstorm/Monsoon season.''
According to one of the players, this is not the first time that lightning struck this stadium during a match. Last year, a teen footballer suffered a cardiac arrest after he was struck during the Soeratin U-13 Cup in Bojonegoro, East Java. Fortunately, doctors were able to revive the teenager 20 minutes after the lightning strike.
A similar tragedy also happened in Brazil in December 2023 when a 21-year-old was killed and six more were injured after a lighting bolt stuck at a football match. The young footballer was rushed to the hospital after he collapsed on the field but later died of injuries.