/ 10 January 2014

News team members die covering Dakar Rally

News Team Members Die Covering Dakar Rally

Two members of an Argentinean news team covering the Dakar Rally died on Thursday when the car they were driving in fell into a ravine, the Super Rally magazine said.

"The dead are journalism student Agustin Mina [20] and Daniel Ambrosio [51] who loved auto racing," magazine manager Francisco Delgado said.

Although not officially accredited, the team was covering the 2014 rally – in which 431 vehicles are crossing Argentina, Bolivia and Chile for the auto, motorbike, quad and lorry events.

Also in the vehicle were 31-year-old Martin Delgado, the magazine manager's son, and Rodrigo de Quesada (36). Both men are photographers for the Super Rally magazine.

The survivors were taken to a hospital in Tucuman.

The group came from the central province of Córdoba, except for Quesada, who is Peruvian.

Cause of the crash
The cause of the crash is not yet clear, Francisco Delgado said by telephone.

The car "fell 100m over a cliff and those in the front seat were killed instantly. The others were saved." he said.

This is the 35th edition of the iconic Dakar Rally, which used to run from Paris to Dakar but has moved to Latin America in recent years.

The 13-stage race, with a single rest day, is 9 374km long for cars, with more than 5 500km of timed "special sections". – Sapa-AFP