NEW DELHE: A freelance photographer was killed on Sunday when a car taking part in the Himalayan rally went out of control shortly after the event got under ‘way in the Indian capital.
United News of India said the name of the driver involved was not immediately available. A 26 year old Indian photographer covering the event was killed and a colleague injured, the news agency said.
Earlier, about 50 demonstrators protesting that the money spent on the rally would be better used developing India’s northern hills lay down in front of the cars at the start in New Delhi’s Nehru stadium.
They were removed by police and the 74 cars started the 2,800 km (1.740-miles) rally over mountain roads which suffered badly in floods that swept across Northern India last month.
Organizers of the protest said they planned to disrupt the rally on Monday as the drivers enter the hill town of Nainital. The rally is due to finish in New Delhi on Saturday.
Kenjiro Shinovuka of Japan is defending his title with Australian co-driver Fred Gocentas in a Mitsubishi gallant
‘Among the other competitors is British photojournalist Jack Davidson, who covered the event last year. He said he enjoyed it so much that, undaunted by a disability caused by Polio, he came back this year to take part
A second British team wi Michael Jackson, who has competitively for 25 years des} only one arm.
The Himalayan foothills gave the drivers plenty of trouble and according to rally official Val Shenton, they sometimes help, each other out.
Shenton said in last year’s rally one driver ran out of petrol and borrowed from the competitor behind, His benefactor then ran out of fuel himself
“But it’s all in the spirit of the thing. There’s a lot of camaraderie when you’re stuck up there at 10,000 feet,” she said.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1988
