Indonesian Soccer Player Dies After Lightning Strike on the Field
A 35-year-old Indonesian soccer player was killed on Saturday after being struck by lightning on the field during a match at Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java. The moment happened during a broadcast of the game, shocking viewers watching at home.
Septain Raharja was playing for FBI Subang in a friendly match against 2 FLO FC Bandung when he was struck around 4:20 p.m. According to local media reports, via the Daily Mail, he was initially still breathing but later died from "intense burns" after being rushed to a hospital.
خلال مباراة كرة قدم أقيمت في إندونيسيا يوم أمس ضربت صاعقة عنيفة أحد اللاعبين.
— خبرني Khaberni (@khaberni) February 11, 2024
الصاعقة كانت قوية جداً لدرجة أن اللاعب توفي على الفور. #خبرني pic.twitter.com/GWcRWRlpYJ
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) found that the cloud that had produced the lightning strike was just 300 meters over the stadium when the incident occurred.
Since Septain's death, several Indonesian teams have held moments of silence in his memory. His football club, FBI Subang, likewise posted a tribute to Septain in Instagram after his passing.
Oddly enough, this marks the second time an Indonesian footballer has been struck by lightning in the last 12 months alone. In November 2023, a young player in Bojonegoro, East Java was hit by a lightning strike during the Soeratin U-13 Cup. The match had only just started about 10 minutes earlier when heavy rain and lightning started pouring down on the stadium.
The player, identified as TDP, was rushed off the field and taken to the Ibnu Sina Hospital in Bojonegoro for treatment after suffering cardiac arrest. He survived his injuries and regained consciousness after about 20 minutes of medical assistance. The match he was playing in, as well as other scheduled matches, were canceled following that incident.