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A Peruvian player, João Contreras, who was struck by lightning during a Copa Peru match and was initially reported to have been killed during the incident, survived and is now in hospital.
Contreras was playing for Sport Águila against Fuerza Minera when the lightning strike occurred. The 21-year-old was struck, as was an assistant referee. The match was then suspended and the player received medical treatment.
Initial reports, including Sport Águila’s Twitter account, announced that Contreras had been killed. However, Peruvian news agencies have since revealed that, while he has suffered second-degree burns, he is in a stable condition and recovering in hospital. A Peruvian newspaper celebrated Contreras’s remarkable survival with the banner: “Man stronger than nature”.
The assistant referee and several fans were treated for shock but are understood to be fine. The opening game in the two-leg fixture finished in a 6-3 win for Union Fuerza Minera and the second leg, during which the lightning struck, was 1-1 when it was suspended.
Guardian.Com
Online Reporter