– The South American Rally Championship (FIA CODASUR) was overshadowed by a serious accident last weekend. An incident occurred at the Rally Sudamericano Mina Clavero in Argentina, in which a spectator died and other people were injured.
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The accident occurred on Sunday during one of the special stages. According to official information and media reports, the vehicle of the duo Didier Arias and co-driver Hector Nunez left the track. The team, competing in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, initially hit an embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn multiple times and enter a spectator zone.
The rally organizers and the International Automobile Federation (FIA) confirmed the tragic outcome of the accident. One spectator succumbed to serious injuries at the scene of the accident. At least two other people were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries after the incident. No detailed confirmed information is currently available regarding the exact health status of the injured.
Both Didier Arias and his co-driver Hector Nunez were able to leave the wreck of the Volkswagen Polo. The rally management reacted immediately to the incident and initiated rescue measures. In an official statement, the organizers expressed their deepest sympathy to the relatives of the deceased: “The organizers express their deepest condolences for what has happened and assure the families and relatives of their sympathy during this difficult time.”
The FIA also reacted to the tragic accident: “The FIA is deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred today during the second round of the FIA CODASUR Rally Championship at the Rally Sudamericano Mina Clavero, in which one spectator lost their life and two others were injured,” read a statement.
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The local authorities, together with the stewards, have launched an investigation to clarify the exact circumstances of the accident. The focus is particularly on the question of whether the affected spectators were in a designated safety area or a danger zone.
The Mina Clavero Rally is an integral part of the CODASUR calendar and is considered one of the most traditional events in the region due to its challenging gravel tracks. In the past, a special stage of the Rally Argentina also took place there as part of the World Rally Championship (WRC).
The incident is part of a black weekend for motorsport, after Finnish-born Juha Miettinen was fatally injured on Saturday at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers.
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