American football star Damar Hamlin is in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during a primetime US National Football League game.

The Buffalo Bills player, 24, fell to the ground after colliding with an opponent during the first quarter of a match against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He received on-field medical attention for more than 30 minutes before being taken to a local hospital.

The NFL suspended the game for the night about an hour after the incident.

His team, the Buffalo Bills later confirmed the cardiac arrest in a statement and added that his heartbeat was restored on the field.

The emergency sparked an outpouring of well-wishes for Hamlin and brought attention back to the dangerous nature of America's most popular sport as the NFL season approaches its climactic play-off stages.

Hamlin was tackling the Bengals' receiver Tee Higgins in the stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, when Higgins' helmet appeared to hit Hamlin in the chest. After initially getting to his feet, he fell on his back.

Players from both teams gathered around Hamlin as emergency medical staff gave CPR and oxygen. Several were seen visibly distressed, with many kneeling to pray and some in tears.

Television coverage repeatedly broke away from the scene on the field, while the crowd in Cincinnati remained silent during the ordeal.

Jordon Rooney, Hamlin's representative, wrote on Twitter: “His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them.”

NFL games are rarely suspended because of injury. Commentators said the fact that gameplay had stalled was a sign of the shocking and severe nature of the emergency.

The two teams are among the top Super Bowl contenders this year, with their head-to-head coming in the primetime Monday night slot in the penultimate week of the NFL's regular season.

The league's players' association wrote in a statement: “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar's health and well-being.”

Hamlin, a native of McKees Rock, Pennsylvania, was a standout at the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted by the Bills in the 2021 NFL draft.

Playing in the role of safety, he served as a reserve for much of last year, but has been a part of the Bills' starting line-up in 2022.

He has also drawn praise for hosting annual Christmas toy drives in his hometown since before he was a paid athlete.

An online GoFundMe page for the toy drive was reshared after Hamlin collapsed on Monday and has raised nearly $3m (£2.5m).

Buildings across Cincinnati were lit up in blue on Monday evening, including Paycor Stadium where the incident occurred.

Well-wishes have also poured in from many corners.

Basketball star LeBron James said: "It was a terrible thing to see and I wish nothing but the best for that kid. I am a huge fan of the NFL and football and you never want to see anything like that happen.”

“The safety of players in all sports is always the most important,” he added.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt wrote on Twitter: “Please be ok man. Please be ok”, while retired Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark told ESPN's SportsCenter show: “This isn't about a football player, this is about a human.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said: “Praying for Damar Hamlin. Our hearts are with his family, loved ones and the entire Buffalo Bills community.”

Bruce Sharpe, a Bills fan who was in the stadium when it happened, said it was “devastating”.

“Everything got dead silent. Even the Bengals fans, you know, you don't want to see anything like that,” he said. "We're just praying that everything's okay.” (BBC)

•PHOTO: Players from both teams gathered around Damar Hamlin as emergency medical staff gave treatment

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