Football match ends in tragedy as referee shot dead on pitch

Attackers reportedly stormed the pitch and shot the referee in front of players and supporters.

The event is said to have sent shockwaves through an entire community in the town of Pasaje, in Ecuador's coastal province of El Oro.

The victim of the shooting has been identified as 48-year-old Javier Ortega.

Ortega was reportedly killed in front of dozens of bystanders as multiple "unidentified gunmen approached the referee during the match before opening fire."

The perpetrators of the attack have yet to be identified and they reportedly fled the scene immediately afterwards.

Ortega, a well-known referee within the area, was declared dead at the scene of the tragic incident, despite the prompt arrival of emergency services.

The match was also "immediately abandoned" as soon as the shooting occurred, and the pitch was later closed off to the public so authorities could conduct investigations and extract forensic evidence.

A tribute has been paid to the referee by one of the teams involved in the match, quoted in a report from The Sun.

It reads: "Javier was a dedicated official, to lose a life over a game of football is unacceptable."

A statement from the local police was also quoted in The Sun's report.

"[We are] interviewing witnesses to identify the perpetrators.

"This is a cold-blooded crime committed in a space meant for community and sport."