M'sian footballer, 28, dies after suspected lightning strike during friendly match in Melaka

A football player has reportedly died after a lightning strike during a friendly match in Melaka, Malaysia on Jul. 5.

A referee was also injured in the same incident, according to Malay Mail.

The victim, R Thanesh, 28, was taken unconscious to Alor Gajah Hospital in a private vehicle following the incident at the Lendu Rakan Muda Complex football field at around 5:40pm. He was later pronounced dead.

What happened

According to Malay Mail, the friendly match between Rembau Indian Veteran FC and Tanjung Minyak FC had been under way for about 10 minutes when a light rain began falling, followed by a loud clap of thunder.

Alor Gajah district police chief Superintendent Ahmad Abu Bakar told Malay Mail:

"About 10 minutes after kick-off, light rain began before a loud clap of thunder was heard. The victim's teammates then saw him and two other individuals collapse on the field immediately after the incident."

The match referee was transported by ambulance to hospital for treatment, while another person affected in the incident was reported to be in good condition and did not require hospitalisation.

Extent of injuries

Ahmad told Malay Mail that an initial examination of Thanesh's body found no signs of foul play.

He added that however, the victim suffered burn marks over his body.

Melaka Hospital is conducting a post-mortem to establish the exact cause of death, and police have classified the case as a sudden death.

FAM responds

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) said it would obtain a full report from the Melaka Football Association (MFA) and the match organiser, according to The Sun Malaysia.

FAM secretary-general Datuk Noor Azman Rahman said in a statement:

"FAM takes a serious view of this heartbreaking incident and hopes all parties will give authorities the space to conduct investigations to determine the actual cause of the incident."

Noor Azman added that choosing to stop or delay a match due to safety concerns is not a sign of poor management, but the right thing to do.

Noor Azman also urged state football associations, clubs, academies and match organisers to closely monitor weather conditions before, during and after games, and encouraged organisers to consider using a lightning detection system at competition venues.

He said:

"This system can detect lightning activity in real time and issue early warnings to match officials, enabling them to make timely decisions on safety.

The lightning detection system is used in many competitions, including professional leagues, as part of their risk management procedures."