A terrifying video of an Indonesian footballer getting hit by lightning has sent shockwaves across the sports world. According to reports in international media, the footballer named Septain Raharja, from Subang, collapsed after the incident during a friendly match at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java on Saturday.
The match was on when the incident happened. The footballer was breathing after being struck by lightning and was rushed to a local hospital but died soon afterwards, according to Indonesia’s PRFM News.
The video, capturing the exact moment when the 35-year-old Septain Raharja was struck by lightning, has gone viral. According to standard.co.uk, 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.
After the incident, several Indonesian teams maintained a moment of silence in the memory of the bereaved.
According to Daily Mail, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) analysis said the cloud the lightning came from was just 300m above the stadium when it struck the footballer.
Quite astonishingly, this is not the first time that a footballer in Indonesia was struck by lightning mid-match in recent times. In 2023, a youngster in Bojonegoro, East Java was struck by lightning during the Soeratin U-13 Cup.
He suffered a cardiac arrest and was immediately taken to hospital for treatment. The boy was revived and regained consciousness after 20 minutes.
The football pitch has been witness to shocking incidents when players died on pitch. Most recetly, an Ivory Coast footballer died in March, 2023 after collapsing on the field during a game. The 21-year-old Moustapha Sylla was playing for Racing Club Abidjan against Sol FC (Football Club) during the domestic league game when the incident took place.
Even in Indian clubs and junior football such incidents have happened. (NDTV)
Footballer (soccer) dead after being struck by lightning during a match in Indonesia⚡️
⭕️The man, later identified as Septain Raharja(35), 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… pic.twitter.com/rAzB0rHCVi
— Global Dissident (@GlobalDiss) February 12, 2024