A footballer has tragically died at the age of 24 after being struck by lightning during a match. The terrifying incident took place in small Thai village of Sungai Golok on Tuesday, which forced a Golok FA Cup fixture between Abu x Nong Sirin and SAMCOLT to be abandoned.
The huge lightning strike hit Sofwan Awae and team-mates attempted to perform emergency medical help, including trying to resuscitate him on the pitch, while emergency services were immediately called. But neither the players nor the soon-to-arrive paramedics were able to save Awae.
Sungai Golok police chief Thun Sirikhunt confirmed in an official statement: “Although the emergency medical team made every effort to save him, the victim succumbed to severe injuries sustained in the incident.”
Local police also verified that 12 others were injured by the strike and subsequently taken to hospital. Video footage of the harrowing incident has since spread rapidly online.
His fellow players could be seen pushing him onto his back to begin resuscitation efforts after the terrifying blast.
Following the tragedy, the Football Association of Thailand issued a statement which read: “The association joins in mourning this loss and offers its condolences to the family, those involved and the football club during this time of sorrow.”
Yala FC, the opposition side to the team Awae represented, also stated: “We extend our condolences to the family of our new FC Yala player, Sofwan Awae.”
The incident is similar to another tragedy in 1998, which was triggered by lightning. A football match in the Democratic Republic of Congo saw 11 players from a single team lose their lives following a strike.
Lightning strikes are believed to have taken the lives of 283 individuals in Thailand between 2020 and 2024. The Department of Disease Control has also reported that the vast majority of those victims died instantly, at the moment of impact.
As recently as May, an engineering student and his aunt were killed by lightning when a bolt hit a shelter in the province of Lampang. A 30-year-old expectant mother also lost her life to lightning in Uthai Thani province while seeking cover under a tree, having returned from a fishing excursion with her husband.