WATCH terrifying crash as buggies are obliterated in Africa desert race (VIDEO)

The seventh stage of the Africa Eco Race was marred by a terrifying crash when two buggies collided at high speed just meters from the finish line.

Two Optimus buggies, driven by Frenchman Dominique Laure and Sergey Kuprianov of Russia, plowed into each other at the end of the stage, sending the vehicles into a series of rolls before barely avoiding event organizers standing next to the finish.

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The horrifying accident took place on Tuesday, when the race participants crossed the lengthy 481km stage in the Mauritanian desert.

The entire race passed off without serious mishap until the crash at the finish, when Kuprianov attempted a desperate maneuver to overtake the Frenchman, who was in the lead.

The two buggies flopped over several times before falling apart on the sand hills of Mauritania.

The four people (including pilots and co-drivers) involved in the accident emerged unscathed, although both drivers were forced to withdraw from the event as their vehicles were completely destroyed.

For Laure it was a complete disaster as he held the overall classification lead before being eliminated from the race.