A soccer game turned into tragedy. Lightning struck one soccer player in Indonesia, killing him during a match. The man was on the pitch when lightning struck, a camera capturing the entire terrifying incident.
According to TMZ, authorities identified Septain Raharja as the man killed. Raharja had been playing in a friendly at Siliwangi Stadium. He played for FBI Subang. He was walking across the field when the lightning bolt hit him. Raharja instantly collapsed with teammates rushing to his aid.
Despite immediate assistance, Raharja’s wounds proved to be fatal. He experienced severe burns from the lightning blast. Although he was still alive in the immediate aftermath, the soccer player later passed away at a local hospital.
Fans and Players Pay Respect to Late Soccer Player
The incident shocked both players and fans of the team. Several people took to social media to pay their condolences to Raharja. Soccer icon Cristian Gonzalez also sent his support and well wishes to Raharja and his family.
Taking to Instagram, people paid tribute to Raharja and his memory with FBI Subang sharing a picture of the deceased athlete. One person wrote, “My deepest condolences to all May the deceased be placed in the best place with Allah SWT.. Amen.”
Another commented, “Representing the family of @footballboots_solo We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. May the deceased have a good ending. Amen to that.”
Another wrote, “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. the whole family of pandeglang mengbal express our condolences for the incident that happened to @fbi_subang may the deceased be accepted by Allah SWT and given strength to the family left behind😢.”
Raharja’s death comes after another incident last year. Another soccer player in Indonesia also experienced a lighting bolt. Lightning struck the athlete during the Soeratin U-13 Cup, but they survived the incident.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the odds of getting struck by lightning are less than one in a million. Additionally, almost 90 of those struck by lightning survive their encounter with nature. In any given year in the United States, there are 40 million lightning strikes on the ground.
However, people do die from lightning strikes. Over a period of 15 years (2006 to 2021), 444 people died by lightning strikes in the United States.