Top referee dies after collapsing on the pitch during Bolivian league game
LA PAZ: A top division referee in Bolivia has died after collapsing during a league game at the weekend.
Victor Hugo Hurtado, 32, was officiating in a match between Always Ready and . Oriente Petrolero in the Estadio Municipal in El Alto, some 12,800ft above sea level and above La Paz.
Hurtado collapsed in the 47th minute, could not be resuscitated despite immediate attention, and was taken to hospital where he apparently suffered a further heart attack and died.
The match was played at Municipal Stadium in El Alto, 3,900m (12,795ft) above sea level.
State President Evo Morales Evma said, via Twitter: “We regret the passing of referee Victor Hugo Hurtado.
“We send our condolences and solidarity to your family, friends and colleagues. Bolivian football is in mourning.”
The match, which had been goalless in the 47th minute, ended in a 5-0 victory for Always Ready.
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