Football Tragedy: Player Struck Dead By lightning during league Match, Four Others Injured

A lighting strike during a local league soccer match in central Peru killed one player and injured four others on Sunday.

Footage of the match showed players walking off the pitch at Coto Coto stadium in the town of Chilca, about 70 kilometers southeast of Lima, after the game had been paused due to a storm.

Several players were seen falling face first to the ground as lightning struck the field. A brief spark and a small cloud of smoke were seen near one of the players, a broadcast on local TV station Onda Deportiva Huancavelic showed.

Seconds later, a few players appeared to struggle to get back up.

The deceased player was identified by authorities and state media as defender Hugo De La Cruz, 39, following the incident in the 22ndminute of the match between local teams Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca.

“We join in solidarity and extend our sincere condolences to the family of young Hugo De La Cruz, who, after being struck by lightning, unfortunately lost his life while being taken to the hospital,” the local municipality said a statement. “We also express our support and wishes for a speedy recovery to the other four players injured in this tragic accident.”

As of Monday evening, two players had been discharged from the hospital, while two remain under observation, state news agency Andina reported. A goalkeeper injured in the incident was in critical condition but had shown improvement, it said.

The regional government, the department of Junín, has not commented on the incident. CNN has reached out for more information.

Lightning strikes can cause severe injury to humans and, in rare cases, can be fatal.

The chance of being struck is less than one in a million, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).