Ten people hurt, five seriously, as Mini smashes into Dakar Rally spectators

At least 10 people have been injured, five seriously, after a car came off the road and smashed into spectators during the prologue stage of the Dakar Rally in Argentina. The prologue - which took place before the first stage on Sunday - was immediately suspended following the accident involving Chinese Mini driver Guo Meiling. Her car veered off the course 6.6km into the 11km prologue on a stretch of straight country road near the small town of Arrecifes.

Injured individuals are likely to be swiftly taken to hospitals in the area following an initial medical evaluation by the organisers’ medical teams on the site

Dakar Rally organisers

Four medical helicopters, three medical vehicles belonging to the race organisers and eight local ambulances were sent to the scene. Arrecifes health officials said a man and his 14-year-old son were the two most serious case. "In total, we had 10 patients, including four children and one pregnant woman, who is OK,“ said Daniel Modesto, the head of the local hospital. But race director Etienne Lavigne said 12 people had been hurt, including Guo, whose Mini ended up battered, with its bonnet lying on the ground.

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