A local football tournament in southern Thailand ended in tragedy after a lightning strike hit the playing field during a match, killing a 24-year-old player and injuring 12 others as teammates and spectators watched in shock.
The victim, Sofwan Awae, suffered severe injuries when lightning struck Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok on Tuesday, according to police. Emergency responders rushed to the venue and tried to save him, but he later died from his injuries, local police chief Thun Sirikhunt said.
The incident happened during a Golok FA Cup match between amateur sides SAMCOLTS and Abu x Nong Sirin, a tournament that brings together teams from Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia.
Videos shared on social media captured the terrifying moment a bolt of lightning struck near a group of players on the pitch. A loud explosion followed, sending footballers running for safety as confusion spread across the stadium.
Players wearing black-and-white striped jerseys immediately rushed to Awae after he collapsed. They turned him onto his back and tried to revive him before medical personnel arrived at the scene.
Police said 12 other players were also hurt in the strike, including one Malaysian national. All of them were taken to hospital for treatment.
Awae played as a winger for SAMCOLTS and had recently signed for Thai third-tier side Yala FC, making his death an even bigger loss for the club and the local football community.
In a statement, Yala FC expressed condolences to his family, describing him as one of the club's newest players.
The tragedy has once again drawn attention to the danger posed by lightning strikes in Thailand, where such incidents continue to claim lives every year.
According to Thailand'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 deadly incident in Thailand came on the same day lightning strikes were also reported in India's eastern state of Jharkhand, where at least 14 people, most of them farm workers caught in open fields during storms, were reported killed.