4 Soccer Players Killed After Being Struck by Lightning During Game

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An unexpected weather pattern has sparked tragedy in South America.

Four female soccer players were killed after being struck by lightning after a storm interrupted their match in rural Colombia Feb. 9, according to multiple reports.

After seeking shelter from the storm, Jeidy Morales, Daniela Mosquera, Luz Lame and Etelvina Mosquera—who hailed from nearby Piedras Negras—were ultimately struck and killed by the lightning, local outlet Cauca Hoy reported. The tragedy took place in the village of El Real, Casas Bajas, located within the town of Cajibio.

“The women were participating in a football tournament when the emergency occurred,” government spokesperson Lesly Valencia said following the incident, per National World. “A lightning bolt struck a tree and that was what caused the death of the four women.”

The victims had been participating in a weekly soccer championship organized Cajibio’s municipal administration, Piedras Negras action board president Elmer Giovanny Mosquera told Cauca Hoy. He added that it was not raining when the lightning struck, but noted that the sky was “cloudy.”