Indonesian Soccer Player Killed After Being Struck By Lightning During Game

An Indonesian soccer player is dead after he was struck by lightning Saturday during a match.

Septain Raharja was competing in a friendly between 2 FLO FC Bandung and FBI Subang, when lightning struck him at Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung, West Java. Video circulating social media shows a bright flash of light before the 35-year-old man collapsed to the ground.

Reports by local PRFM News say that he was still breathing after the incident. Raharja was rushed to a local hospital with intense burns, where he later died.

According to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, the cloud the lightning came from was just 300 meters above the stadium when it struck. 

Several teams paid tribute to Raharja following his tragic death — taking a moment of silence and sharing condolences on his team's Instagram.

Strangely enough, soccer players being struck by lightning is more common than you might think.

In 2023, a 21-year-old athlete was also struck by lightning while on the pitch in Brazil. Caio Henrique de Lima Goncalves was playing for his Uniao Jaiirense team in the southern state of Parana when the lightning strike occurred. He was rushed to hospital after collapsing on the field, but he later died of his injuries.

Six other players in that game spent time in the hospital.

Also last year, an Indonesian U13 player was struck by lightning. He was lucky enough to survive — but only after suffering a cardiac arrest and losing consciousness for about 20 minutes.