Tuesday, 1 July 2008

Lightning kills three Cambodian soccer players

Poa Sotheara, 20, holds a portrait of her husband Lim Veasna, 27, who has killed by lightning on Monday during a friendly local soccer match, in Phnom Penh July 1 , 2008. At least three Cambodian soccer players were killed instantly and four other players were knocked down when they were playing in rain, said officials on Tuesday.REUTERS/Stringer (CAMBODIA)


Poa Sotheara, 20, lights incense in front of a portrait of her husband Lim Veasna, 27, who has killed by lightning on Monday during a friendly local soccer match, in Phnom Penh July 1 , 2008. At least three Cambodian soccer players were killed instantly and four other players were knocked down when they were playing in rain, said officials on Tuesday.REUTERS/Stringer (CAMBODIA)

A team mate carries the body of Lim Veasna, 27, on a soccer field after lightning struck during a local friendly soccer match in Phnom Penh in this June 29, 2008 picture. At least three Cambodian soccer players were killed instantly and four other players were knocked down when they were playing in rain, said officials on Tuesday.REUTERS/Stringer (CAMBODIA)

Reuters , Tuesday July 1 200

PHNOM PENH, July 1 (Reuters) - A lightning bolt killed three Cambodian soccer players and put three others in hospital at a match played during a monsoon season thunder-storm, officials said on Tuesday.

The victims, all in their 20s, were taking part in a tournament organised by the government to introduce the game to youngsters and ultimately to improve the strength of the national side, said Cambodia Soccer Federation President Sao Sokha.

Monday's freak incident in the southeast Asian nation's capital prompted a warning to players and coaches not to take to the field while thunderclouds loomed overhead -- an almost daily occurence in the May-October rainy season.

"We encourage children to play the game, but they should not do so during bad weather," Sao Sokha said.

Keo Vy of of the National Disaster Committee said 40 people had been killed nationwide by lightning so far this year, nearly as many as the total killed for the whole of 2007. Reasons for the dramatic increase remain unclear. (Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Ed Cropley and Ben Tan)

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