Video shared on social media captured the moment a lightning bolt struck near several players./SCREENGRAB
A football match in southern Thailand ended in tragedy after a lightning strike hit the pitch, killing one player and injuring 12 others in a shocking incident witnessed by teammates and spectators.
The victim, 24-year-old Sofwan Awae, suffered critical injuries when lightning struck Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok on Tuesday, police said.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and attempted to save him, but he later died from his injuries, according to local police chief Thun Sirikhunt.
Video shared on social media captured the moment a lightning bolt struck near several players, followed by a loud explosion that sent those on the pitch scrambling.
Teammates wearing black-and-white striped jerseys rushed to Awae's side, turned him onto his back and attempted to revive him before medical personnel arrived.
Police said 12 other players, including one Malaysian national, were injured in the incident and taken to hospital for treatment.
The match was part of the Golok FA Cup, a local tournament involving amateur teams from Thailand and Malaysia. Tuesday's fixture was between SAMCOLTS and Abu x Nong Sirin.
Awae, who played as a winger for SAMCOLTS, had recently signed for Thai third-tier club Yala FC.
In a statement, Yala FC expressed condolences to his family, describing him as one of the club's newest players.
Lightning-related fatalities are a recurring hazard in Thailand. According to the country's Department of Disease Control, at least 283 people were struck by lightning between 2020 and 2024, with many of the incidents proving fatal.
The latest tragedy came on the same day that lightning strikes in India's eastern state of Jharkhand reportedly killed at least 14 people, most of them farm workers caught in open fields during storms.
