Chilca (Peru), Nov 4: Peruvian footballer Jose Hugo de la Cruz Meza, 39, lost his life after being struck by lightning during a local tournament match in Chilca, Huancayo Province. 

The fatal strike occurred after the referee halted play, as rumbling thunder grew louder and storm clouds gathered ominously over the field. Moments after the order to pause, Jose, a defender for Juventud Bellavista, collapsed face-first on the ground, struck by a bolt that tragically ended his life. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

According to The Mirror, goalkeeper Juan Chocca Llacta, 40, took a direct hit and sustained severe burns. With no ambulances on site, Chocca was transported to the hospital in a taxi and remains in critical condition.

Additionally, three other players—a 24-year-old named Cristian Cesar Pituy Cahuana and two teenagers, aged 16 and 19—sustained injuries and are reportedly in stable condition.

The teams, Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca, had barely played 22 minutes when the lightning struck, with Juventud Bellavista leading 2-0. The match was subsequently abandoned. Such incidents have become alarmingly common, with this tragedy following a similar incident in Indonesia earlier this year, where 35-year-old Septian Raharja died after being struck by lightning during a friendly match.

--IANS