Latest news with #PuydeDome
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Rally horror as three spectators are killed after driver crashes off road - one year on from tragic incident at same race
A French rally event has been rocked by tragedy for the second year in a row after three spectators — including two brothers — were killed when a car veered off the road and crashed into the crowd. The fatal incident took place around 10am on Saturday during the Rallye de la Fourme d'Ambert in the Puy-de-Dome region of central France. The 22-year-old driver is said to have lost control during a 7km stage through the commune of Saint-Just, leaving the track and striking a group of spectators. Two brothers, aged 60 and 70, died at the scene. A 44-year-old father was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The driver and his 51-year-old co-driver both suffered only minor injuries. Dozens of police officers and firefighters responded to the crash, while several shocked witnesses were reportedly treated at the scene. The regional government posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'This morning, a tragic accident occurred during the Rallye de la Fourme d'Ambert. 'Following a vehicle in the race going off the road, several spectators were struck. 'Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy.' Local media report that an investigation into involuntary manslaughter has been opened. The mayor of Saint-Just expressed his devastation, saying: 'I have a great deal of emotion and sadness. My thoughts are especially with the families. The rally has been running for 30 years, and the last two years have seen one disaster after another.' This marks the second year in a row the event has ended in tragedy. In 2023, a 42-year-old steward was killed after being hit by a rally car while tending to a vehicle that had earlier gone off the road. The back-to-back fatalities are now likely to spark renewed scrutiny over spectator safety at motorsport events in France.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Horror as 3 spectators killed at rally after driver, 22, veers off road during race – year after tragedy at same event
THREE spectators have died at a rally in France after a driver veered off the road. The tragic incident happened at the event near Ambert in the Puy-de-Dome region this morning. 1 Two brothers aged 60 and 70 sadly died at the scene of the incident. A 44-year-old father was taken to hospital but also subsequently passed away, according to reports. The 22-year-old driver and their 51-year-old co-driver both sustained minor injuries. The Puy-de-Dome prefecture posted on X: "This morning, a tragic accident occurred during the Rallye de la Fourme d'Ambert. "Following a vehicle in the race going off the road, several spectators were struck. "Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy." A manslaughter investigation has now been opened, local media reports add. .
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Two spectators killed in motor rally accident in France
Two people have been killed in central France after a car veered off the road and hit onlookers at an auto rally. A third person watching the race is now fighting for their life after being seriously injured at the rally near Ambert in the Puy-de-Dome region on Saturday morning. The car left the road at around 10am before crashing into spectators, according to regional outlet La Montagne. The driver was reportedly left with only minor injuries as dozens of police officers and firefighters were mobilised to respond to the accident. The local prefecture said: 'The provisional toll shows two people dead, one person in critical condition, and several others involved in the shock.' The race, which was just over 7km long, stretched between Baffie and Fontlobines in the commune of Saint-Just. The prefect of Puy-de-Dome, the region's top local official, is set to conduct a press conference this afternoon. This is not the first time the racing event near Ambert has been marred by tragedy. At last year's race in July 2024, a steward reportedly died when he was hit by a car that lost control as he attended to a separate accident.
France 24
08-07-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Pogacar wins Tour de France stage four for career century
Pogacar attacked on an incline to the line to finish just ahead of Van der Poel with Jonas Vingegaard third. It was the 26-year-old Slovenian's 18th Tour de France stage win as he seeks a fourth overall triumph on the Tour. Fans were treated to another Pogacar-Vingegaard head-to-head duel as five hills made the final 40km a roller-coaster. But overall leader Mathieu van der Poel also entered the fray, narrowly failing to win the stage but keeping the yellow jersey he took from Alpecin teammate Jasper Philipsen, who quit the Tour injured after a nasty fall on Monday. On the day's final real climb, Pogacar dropped all his rivals with only Vingegaard offering a real fight. But the big Dutch rider and the slender Dane both came back at Pogacar, making him fight all the way to the line in a thunderous finale. The same trio top the overall standings, with Pogacar second and Vingegaard in third. Unlike the opening three stages, there was hardly a puff of wind and not a drop of rain, but there were still plenty of falls. Stage five will shake up the overall standings with a 33km individual time trial around Caen. The stage is being billed as the day Remco Evenepoel will finally slip into the overall leader's yellow jersey. To do so the 25-year-old Belgian world and Olympic champion in the discipline will need to cover the 33km course almost a minute faster that Pogacar and Vingegaard. The first mountains come as late as stage 10 over the volcanic landscape of the Puy de Dome, with two more colossal climbing days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. © 2025 AFP
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Weather tracker: Fierce thunderstorms and big hailstones hit parts of Europe
This week, large parts of Europe have been affected by a series of intense thunderstorms, bringing torrential rain, damaging winds, and large hail. Central France was particularly badly affected by the severe weather, as powerful storm systems swept south-westward across the country. The departments of Loire and Puy-de-Dôme were among the hardest hit, experiencing significant damage from a particularly violent supercell thunderstorm that produced hailstones measuring up to 6cm in diameter – larger than ping-pong balls. The storm system also generated flash flooding, strong wind gusts, and reports of a localised 'mini-tornado', leaving widespread damage to infrastructure and vehicles in its wake. The storms were fuelled by warm, saturated air rising from the Mediterranean clashing with cooler air descending from northern Europe. This temperature contrast created significant atmospheric instability. Additionally, the orographic influence of the Vosges and Jura mountain ranges probably contributed to storm intensification by enhancing uplift. The powerful supercell formed under conditions of high wind shear, where changes in wind speed and direction with altitude encouraged the development of a rotating updraft. These intense updrafts lifted raindrops high into the atmosphere, where they froze and coalesced into large hailstones before falling to the ground with destructive force. Meanwhile, southern China has once again experienced heavy rainfall, triggering landslides, emergency evacuations, and widespread disruption to transport networks across the region. In Quanzhou County, approximately 300 cubic metres of debris, including soil and large boulders, tumbled down a hillside, blocking a major roadway and bringing traffic to a standstill. In Guilin's Lingui district, rainfall totals exceeded 207mm on Monday alone, highlighting the severity of the ongoing weather system and its impact on the local infrastructure and communities. Canada is currently battling more than 200 active wildfires, primarily across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with approximately 2.3 million hectares burnt, most within the past week. At least half of these fires are classified as out of control, and have led to widespread evacuations. Thick smoke from the fires has significantly reduced air quality, spreading across a third of the US, and more recently have reached Europe. Hot, dry conditions, intensified by climate change, have been worsening the situation, and are expected to help fuel the fires over the coming days.
