Inventory of lightning accidents in football matches
It is inevitable to encounter thunderstorms during football matches, where both spectators and players are exposed to outdoor environments. If lightning protection is not taken into account at this time, lightning accidents may occur.
On October 27, 1998, during a football match in the Democratic Republic of Congo, thunderstorms and heavy rain poured down, but the referee did not interrupt the match. Suddenly, a terrifying lightning bolt struck the stadium, causing 11 people to fall directly to the ground and experience spasms and convulsions amidst the rolling thunder. In the end, it was determined that 11 players on the field died and more than 30 were lightly or seriously injured in the incident.
On January 9, 1988, during a football match at the Pikuiba Stadium in S ã o Paulo, Brazil, a thunderous thunderstorm struck six people, resulting in their unfortunate deaths and two injuries.
On January 20, 1991, Pirelli, Brazil, faced Cruzeiro during the South American summer season. The weather was unpredictable, and in the second half of the 20th minute, dark clouds suddenly covered with lightning. Two players were killed after being hit by lightning, and the referee and some fans were injured.
On September 20, 1993, at a sports stadium near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two teams were playing in a thunderstorm when suddenly a lightning bolt fell onto the field, killing four players on the spot.
On the evening of July 19, 1995, in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, with dense clouds and heavy rain, 12 men were playing football at a local sports stadium. After a thunderstorm, all the players were knocked down by lightning, resulting in 2 deaths on the spot, and 6 people were unconscious and rescued after rescue.
In March 2004, Chinese national defender Jiang Tao of Singapore's New Qi team was struck by lightning on the training ground and unfortunately passed away on the spot at the age of only 18.
In October 2007, Colombia's Athletic Cali team was suddenly struck by lightning during training, resulting in 2 deaths and 3 injuries. The team's best player, Giovanni Cordoba, suffered severe burns and internal organ damage, and unfortunately died during hospital treatment. His teammate, Egaviri, died on the spot.
8. On July 14, 2001, in a small stadium 150 kilometers west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, two teams were playing, but they were hit by lightning and rainstorm. Many spectators ran under trees to take shelter from the rain. A flash of lightning struck, killing 11 spectators and seriously injuring 5.
In 2015, in the Bolivian domestic league, two teams were struck by lightning, with one player unfortunately killed and eight others injured and sent to hospital.
In September 2016, 16-year-old Russian player Zabolsky was preparing to kick and shoot during his daily training when a lightning bolt suddenly appeared, hitting him and emitting black smoke. He then fell into a coma and was urgently sent to the hospital. The exposure of on-site footage is frightening.
In the 2018 South African League. 21-year-old Marizburg United player Ruinada was struck by lightning and fell into a coma, but unfortunately passed away after two months of unsuccessful rescue efforts.
What are the causes of so many lightning accidents? In football matches and when spectators are struck by lightning, the main reason is due to direct lightning, the step voltage and contact voltage accompanying direct lightning. These reasons can instantly lead to death. Lightning is mainly characterized by instantaneous high current and high voltage. When lightning current flows through a conductor, the heat generated can be estimated using Ohm's law. The enormous heat can cause burns, peeling, metal melting, and building material explosions in the human body.
In addition, lightning can also instantly peel and explode numbers. When a strong lightning current flows through a tree trunk, the current will generate heat in the conductor due to the presence of resistance, which will cause the water in the trunk to evaporate and generate strong pressure. When the pressure is released, it will cause the bark to peel off or the trunk to explode.
