By Swift Reporter
A football match in southern Thailand ended in tragedy after lightning struck the pitch, killing a 24-year-old player and injuring 12 others during a tournament fixture.
The incident happened on Tuesday at Santiphap Stadium in Sungai Golok, where local sides SAMCOLTS and Abu x Nong Sirin were facing each other in the Golok FA Cup, an amateur competition involving teams from Thailand and Malaysia.
The victim, identified as Sofwan Awae, was reportedly struck when lightning hit the playing area. He sustained critical injuries and was rushed to hospital, but later died despite efforts to save his life, police said.
Witnesses described scenes of panic immediately after the strike, with players and match officials rushing across the pitch as those nearby tried to help the injured.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show a flash followed by a powerful explosion. Several players in black-and-white jerseys were then seen running towards Awae, turning him over and attempting to resuscitate him before emergency responders arrived.
Police said 12 other players were injured, including a Malaysian national. They were taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Awae was playing as a winger for SAMCOLTS and had recently joined Yala FC, a Thai third-tier club.
Yala FC mourned the young footballer, describing him as one of its newest recruits and sending condolences to his family following his death.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about the dangers posed by thunderstorms during outdoor sporting activities, particularly when players and spectators remain exposed on open pitches.
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control has reported that at least 283 people were struck by lightning between 2020 and 2024, highlighting the continuing risk posed by severe thunderstorms across the country.
The incident also occurred amid reports of deadly thunderstorms in India’s eastern state of Jharkhand, where at least 14 people were reportedly killed by lightning on the same day, many of them farm workers caught outdoors.
The death of Awae has since cast a shadow over the football tournament, with tributes expected for the young player whose promising career was cut short in a sudden and devastating incident.
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