One footballer killed and five others injured after lightning strikes pitch in horrific incident
One man has been killed and at least a further five people have been injured after lightning struck a football pitch in Peru, it has been reported.
The lightning strike occurred during a regional tournament in the Peruvian district of Chilca, which is part of the Huancayo province.
During the match, the referee called for the match between Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca to be briefly stopped because of the threat of thunder and lightning above the pitch.
However, as the players begun to walk off the field, five players and what appeared to be either a goalkeeper or a member of support staff immediately collapsed after being hit by lightning in horrifying footage.
In the footage, a gunshot sound can be heard as well as a brief flash. The incident is said to have happened at 4pm local time.
The Sun report that Jose Hugo de la Cruz Meza, 39, was killed instantly by the strike.
Goalkeeper Juan Chocca Llacta was rushed to hospital with serious burns to his body.
A man named as Cristian Cesar Pituy, 24, was said to be stable in hospital, as well as two unnamed teenagers aged 16 and 19. The match was abandoned.
According to the head of the Chilca district's Civil Defense department, De la Cruz was wearing a metal bracelet and it is that which likely caused the lightning to strike him.
Lucho Duarte, a Peruvian engineer, wrote online: "This terrible incident reminds us of the importance of protection against lightning, especially in open-air events.
"We need to implement protective systems in sports installations and security protocols involving the immediate suspension of activities during storms."
Ryan Smart