His relatives hammered that it was an attack, when the authorities did not rule out any leads. The explosion, which “Hit the vehicle occupied by a crew of five French” and during which the pilot Philippe Boutron was seriously injured, on December 30, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, two days before the official start of the Dakar rally-raid, is now the subject of a preliminary investigation for “attempted ‘assassinations in connection with a terrorist enterprise’, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office announced in a statement on Tuesday, January 4. The investigations are entrusted to the General Directorate of Internal Security.
Earlier today, the Sodicars Racing team, some of whose members were in the vehicle during the tragedy, let it be known that Philippe Boutron, 61, is currently “Placed in an artificial coma so as to alleviate his suffering”, his legs having been “Banged up” by the explosion. He was taken care of at the Percy military hospital, in Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine). His co-driver, Mayeul Barbet, is also back in France, where, specifies the Girondine team, “He is rebuilding himself morally after having lived one of the most painful weeks of his life”.
“We were blown up”
What really happened on Thursday, December 30? The course of events is now known, but gray areas remain around the causes of the explosion, which prematurely ended Philippe Boutron’s ninth Dakar.
He was behind the wheel of the assistance vehicle, on board which his co-pilot and four other people were also seated, in order to reach the bivouac where the pre-race technical verifications were taking place. After driving a few hundred meters out of their hotel, an explosion occurred near a gas station. “The car started to catch fire, and Philippe asked me to come and help him get out of the seat”, says Mayeul Barbet in a testimony relayed on January 2 by Sodicars Racing.
For the latter, it is not an accident, but a “Attack” using a bomb placed in the side member, one of the chassis parts. A thesis shared by Thierry Richard, 57, also present in the 4 x 4 during the drama. “We saw the impact under the vehicle. We are not stupid, we also know what an explosion is. We took a breath in the car, described the pilot to Agence France-Presse (AFP). We were blown up. “
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