A 75-year-old athletics official lost his life yesterday after being speared through the throat by a javelin at a meeting in Dues-seldorf on Sunday.

The elderly official at the city’s Wilhelm Unger Games for young athletes was reported to have gone to measure a javelin throw, but was hit by the object as it landed, according to local media reports.

Paramedics revived the victim at the scene and an emergency doctor escorted him as he was rushed to hospital where he was operated on. However, he lost his life after losing a lot of blood from his main artery.

A group of seven spectators in the 800-strong crowd who witnessed the incident were given counselling at the scene as police evacuated the stadium.

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