Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 1:12 p.m.
| Updated 1:23 p.m.
Tragedy on a soccer field in Peru. A soccer player died this Sunday after being struck by lightning while an amateur match was being played in the town of Chicha, located in the department of Huancayo. Other players were also injured. One of them, in fact, is in serious condition.
The fatal event took place when the referee decided to interrupt the match between Juventud Bellavista, the club in which the deceased played, and Familia Chocca. A strong storm broke out and the referee made this decision. However, just as the players were retiring to the locker room, lightning struck defender José Hugo de la Cruz Meza. The footballer arrived at the hospital alive, but the doctors could do nothing to save his life.
As can be seen in the images of the moment, the lightning caused a large explosion and, due to the discharge, caused players who were near the victim to faint on the grass. Local media have reported that goalkeeper Juan Chocca suffers severe burns. At the moment, the status of the rest of those affected by the impact is unknown.
