Huancayo province

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.