Spectator dies at German endurance race

A spectator has died and others were injured in an accident during an endurance motor race on the Nuerburgring, race organisers and police said on Saturday.

The Nissan Nismo team said that one of its cars, driven by Briton Jann Mardenborough, went off the track, vaulted catch fencing and landed on its roof in a spectator area.

Nissan and the VLN race series said that several people were injured and that one person died after being taken to the Nuerburgring medical centre.

The others were taken to local hospitals.

Mardenborough got out of the car on his own and was also taken to hospital for routine checks after first examinations at the medical centre, Nissan said.

The race, part of the VLN endurance series, was red-flagged and not started again after the incident which occurred at the "Flugplatz" (air field) section of the long Nuerburgring Nordschleife course.

"Today's events have been a tragedy. We are all deeply shocked and saddened by these events and our immediate thoughts go to the deceased, those injured and their families and friends," Nissan said.

"The team is fully co-operating with the race organisers to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident."