THE 1996 Granada-Dakar rally claimed its first victim yesterday when Frenchman Laurent Gueguen was killed after his Mercedes lorry crashed and burst into flames after hitting a suspected mine.

The accident happened in southern Morocco, some 400 metres off the main track 157 kilometres into the 474-kilometre fifth leg of the course from Foum El Hassan to Smara.

Gueguen (26), married with a young daughter, died trapped in his vehicle after it caught fire. His two co-drivers Pascal Loudenot and Vincent Baudin were also injured but course officials described their condition as "satisfactory." They were flown by air ambulance to Europe for treatment.

The accident happened in an area which remains heavily-mined following more than a decade of war up until 1989 in the Sahara. But rally organiser Hubert Auriol said last night: "I think people are talking about the possibility of a mine explosion, but I have no information on that. We are on Moroccan territory and the military would not have taken the risk of sending us into a dangerous area."

Last night, French motorcyclist Thierry Rannou was in a coma after an accident during the fifth stage.