Egyptian footballer Haitham El-Essawy, 19, who plays for Sudanese side Marikh El Fasher has jumped to his death while trying to escape a fire at a hotel his team were staying in Khartoum according to media reports in Egypt.
وفاة لاعب #مريخ_الفاشر المحترف المصري محمد هيثم العيسوى متأثرا بجروحه إثر الحريق الذي شب بفندق أوركيدا صباح اليوم
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون pic.twitter.com/XkAeOkMWZo
— سودان سبورت 56 (@SUDANSPORT56) February 29, 2020
Egyptian website eg24.news reports that four of El-Essawy’s teammates also suffered serious injuries while trying to escape the fire outbreak at the Land Orchid hotel.
Local reports say that three other guests staying in the hotel were also killed in the fire which was reportedly caused by a short circuit.
According to Egyptian media reports, the fire spread to the fourth floor which was occupied by the team causing panic among the players.
El-Essawy and four other unnamed players reportedly sought to escape the raging flames by jumping from the fourth floor of the hotel.
While the four players sustained varying degrees of injuries, El-Essawy’s were fatal and he was pronounced dead at the Al-Fouad Hospital, as a result of injuries he sustained local media report.
The midfielder joined Al-Fashir at the end of last year and had been set to take to the field against Al Merreikh with his team in the Sudanese topflight on Sunday.
