Lightning bolt strikes football field in Thailand, killing a player during a match
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Lightning bolt strikes football field in Thailand, killing a player during a match")
Thai football player died on the ground from a lightning strike. Photograph: (X)
A lightning strike killed a football player in Thailand and left 12 others injured. A video shows lightning hitting the ground, erupting flames, and a player instantly collapsing. Others try to resuscitate him as spectators watch in horror.
A football player died on the field in Thailand after being struck by lightning during a massive storm that engulfed the region. Videos show rain pouring down with players running around. A lightning bolt hits the ground, and flames erupt from the point. Safwan Awae, 24, was hit and died during the Golok Cup regional tournament at the Santiphap Stadium in Narathiwat province.
Spectators rushed to try and save him after he fell to the ground. Emergency services rushed to the scene and took Awae to the hospital. “Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident,” police chief Thun Sirikhunt said.
Officials also confirmed that 12 others suffered burn injuries in the incident. Malaysian footballer Alif Ezzahan Zulkifli was also at the scene and among those injured. Awae suffered the tragic fate weeks after signing for FC Yala, who compete in the Thai League 3 Southern Region. The club offered condolences to him and his family. "Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed, to Him we will return. Condolences to the family of Safwan Awae, the new player of FC Yala," it wrote on Facebook.
Warning: Distressing video. Viewer discretion advised
Social media users were dumbstruck as they saw the lightning bolt hit the ground and instantly kill a player. People on the ground can be heard screaming in horror as the player lay on the ground, with others checking on him.
Sports fields are highly vulnerable to lightning strikes. According to a study on European lightning accidents (2010–2019), roughly 10 per cent of all lightning accident victims were at a stadium, sports, or leisure facility, with the vast majority occurring on association football (soccer) pitches. Open outdoor fields—like soccer and American football pitches—are among the most vulnerable spots during localised thunderstorms because players and goalposts often serve as the highest conductive points in an open area.
In 2024, a strike hit a regional match in Huancayo, Peru, killing defender José Hugo de la Cruz Meza and injuring four others.
