South China Morning Post
Published: 5:31pm, 11 Mar, 2019
- Rohimullah, 19, was a spectator at a friendly game but stayed on the wet field during a lightning storm after others sought shelter
- Four others injured with witnesses saying they were using their mobile phones at the time of the strike
Rohimullah Bin Abdul Zalil (left) and Abdul Rahman Bin Abul Hussein. Photo: Handout
Malaysia’s
Rohingya football community is in mourning after the death of
19-year-old Rohimullah Bin Abdul Zalil, who was killed after the sodden
football pitch he was standing on was struck by lightning on Sunday.
Rohimullah,
who fled Myanmar in 2014 because of a military crackdown on young
Rohingya males, was one of five Rohingya who collapsed after lightning
had struck the field in Shah Alam near Kuala Lumpur. It is reported that
they were using their mobile phones when the incident occurred.
Abdul
Rahman Bin Abul Hussein, 30, is in critical condition in hospital,
while Kamal Uddin Bin Abu Taher, 30, and Husson Ahmed Bin Asod Ali, 20,
are expected to be discharged, according to Mohammed Faruk, an official
with the Kuala Lumpur-based refugee team Rohingya Football Club.
The identity of the fifth victim is unknown.
Rohimullah
was an avid footballer, Faruk said, but was a spectator at the friendly
match between Rohingya Klang FC and Peninsular International School on
Sunday afternoon
Rohingya Football Club official Mohammed Faruk. Photo: Handout
“It is a very sad time for the Rohingya footballers because we are a very close community.”
Faruk said the match was stopped early because of heavy rain and lightning.
Husson Ahmed Bin Asod Ali. Photo: Handout
“Most
of the players went indoors and were waiting for the bus but there were
about seven people still out on the field,” said Faruk.
Bad
weather has caused havoc in the political capital Putrajaya and areas
around Kuala Lumpur over the past few days. Malaysia has among the
highest incidence of lightning activity in the world.
In
May, 2016, 18-year-old Australian goalkeeper Stefan Petrovski, who was
playing for Malaysian side Melaka United, died weeks after lightning
struck the goalposts he and a teammate were standing near during a
training session.
Kamal Uddin Bin Abu Taher. Photo: Handout
Local
media quoted witnesses as saying Rohingya Klang FC teammates were
unable to provide immediate help to the fallen players because of
continued lightning activity. After about five minutes, they were able
to run on to the field and saw that several of their friends had
collapsed.
According to reports, Rohimullah was killed instantly.
Klang
Utara police chief, ACP Nurulhuda Mohd Salleh, was quoted as saying:
“One victim is confirmed dead, while four more are injured including one
who is critical, sent to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang for
further treatment.”
Mohamed
Noor Zafar, a friend of Rohimullah, was quoted as saying: “I was
playing in a friendly match before the tragedy. Rohimullah only came to
support our team, Klang Rohingya Football Club.
“However, the match was cancelled due to the weather. I then contacted our bus driver to take us home.
“While
waiting for the bus, a thunderstorm started. Rohimullah, who was
sitting in the middle of the field, was struck by lightning. His shirt
caught fire.”
Malaysia
is home to tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who have fled their
homeland, saying they are being oppressed by the government and its
military.
More
than 800,000 Rohingya who escaped Rakhine state are living in refugee
camps in Bangladesh. The Myanmar government does not recognise them as
citizens, calling them Bengalis while the Bangladesh government say they
belong to Myanmar.
No comments:
Post a Comment