A Day That Shook The World: Le Mans 24 race disaster

Friday 10 June 2011 00:04 BST

The 1955 Le Mans crash (Hulton Archive/Getty)

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On 11 June 1955, the famous Le Mans 24-hour race ended in tragedy when a Mercedes flipped and crashed into the crowd, killing 84 people and injuring hundreds more.

The race was the fastest ever, faster than Formula 1 at the time, while safety measures were limited, especially by modern standards. Amazingly, organisers allowed the race to continue, allowing Mike Hawthorn to cruise to a subdued victory in his Jaguar.

Watch dramatic original footage from the crash in this British Pathé video, above.

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