Spanish officials say the opening bull run of this year’s San Fermin festival in the northern city of Pamplona has left at least five people injured, including two who were gored by bulls.
One, a 23-year-old American, is said to be ‘serious’ after being gored in the left leg.
The other gore victims were described as a 46-year-old Californian, who suffered a superficial neck wound, and a 40-year-old from the northern Spanish province of La Rioja also gored in the left leg.
A participant receives medical assistance during the first bullrun of the San Fermin festival in the northern city of Pamplona
An 18-year-old from the Basque city of San Sebastian and a 23-year-old from Barcelona were also taken to hospital with head wounds.
Although their condition is not said to be serious, hospital staff said one was rushed from the scene unconscious and only came round in the ambulance.
TV footage showed a man being lifted up in the air and dumped on his backside after being surprised from behind by one of the half-tonne animals as he jogged along the half-mile course through the streets of Pamplona.
One of the six fighting bulls which charged down the course to the bull ring, led by six steers, fell early on.
Another became separated from the rest of the pack towards the end and was last to be ushered into pens after completing the run, in two minutes 40 seconds and around half a minute after the other animals.
A spokesman for Pamplona’s Hospital Complex initially said they had received only one man who had been gored, in his left leg, confirming another two patients had been brought to the hospital with head injuries.
A participant is tossed by a heifer bull during the first bullrun, where they are released at 8:00am every morning of the festival
A spokesman for Pamplona’s Hospital Complex initially said they had received only one man who had been gored, in his left leg, confirming another two patients had been brought to the hospital with head injuries
Each day, bulls are run every morning and killed in afternoon bullfights and footage emerged yesterday of a bull twitching to its death after it had been speared
One of the people rushed to hospital with head injuries was taken away from the scene unconscious, but the hospital spokesman said he had come round in the ambulance.
It was not immediately clear if one of the gore victims was the man caught unawares from behind, whose jeans were ripped at the top of his leg as he was lifted up in the air on the end of the bull’s horn and dumped on the cobbles.
Red Cross spokesman José Aldaba says the most seriously injured were treated Sunday at the main regional hospital following the race, which lasted 2 minutes and 41 seconds.
The six bulls, accompanied by tame bullocks, ran together in a pack for most of the 850-meter (930-yard) course to the city’s bullring.
Red Cross spokesman José Aldaba says the most seriously injured were treated Sunday at the main regional hospital following the race, which lasted 2 minutes and 41 seconds
As a bull drops down onto its front to hooves, a reveller’s body is left in a contorted position after being struck by the half-tonne beast
A spokesman for Pamplona’s Hospital Complex initially said they had received only one man who had been gored, in his left leg, confirming another two patients had been brought to the hospital with head injuries
A 23-year-old American is said to be ‘serious’ after being gored in the left leg while the other gore victims were described as a 46-year-old Californian, who suffered a superficial neck wound, and a 40-year-old from the northern Spanish province of La Rioja also gored in the left leg
An 18-year-old from the Basque city of San Sebastian and a 23-year-old from Barcelona were also taken to hospital with head wounds
One of them stumbled toward the end, causing panic and at least one goring when it charged at some racers.
Yesterday morning’s run was the first of the eight bulls runs over the annual nine-day festival, known in Spain as San Fermin.
The nine-day San Fermin fiesta, which kicked off yesterday at midday with the traditional ‘chupinazo’, draws around one million visitors annually.
Each day, bulls are run every morning and killed in afternoon bullfights.
Sixteen people have been killed at the annual festival, which finishes on July 14 and was made famous by 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’, since records began in 1910.
One of the six fighting bulls which charged down the course to the bull ring, led by six steers, fell early on in the opening day
Another became separated from the rest of the pack towards the end and was last to be ushered into pens after completing the run, in two minutes 40 seconds and around half a minute after the other animals
One of the people rushed to hospital with head injuries was taken away from the scene unconscious, but the hospital spokesman said he had come round in the ambulance
The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino.
Several foreigners, from Australians to Americans through to Brits and Irish, are normally among the injured.
Between 200 and 300 are usually injured each year at the festival during the bull runs.
Yesterday’s opening erupted with controversy after animal rights campaigners flooded the arena of one of the first bull fight’s when a bull was speared to death.
Footage of the incident was released by Peta UK on Twitter, which can be seen above.
But it is the eight morning runs, called encierros in Spanish, that form the highlight of the festival.
Most revellers party all day – and often all night – with many getting little sleep and sometimes none at all before watching the 8am encierros behind the safety of wooden barriers.
Party-goers wearing traditional red and white were quickly soaked in sangria as the event got underway.
Yesterday morning’s run was the first of the eight bulls runs over the annual nine-day festival, known in Spain as San Fermin
The nine-day San Fermin fiesta, which kicked off yesterday at midday with the traditional ‘chupinazo’, draws around one million visitors annually
A participant required medical assistance during the first bullrun of the San Fermin festival after being struck by one of the bulls
Sixteen people have been killed at the annual festival, which finishes on July 14 and was made famous by 1926 Ernest Hemingway novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’, since records began in 1910
A municipal worker cleans the street before the first bullrun of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain
The most recent death was in 2009 when 27-year-old Daniel Jimeno, from Madrid, was gored in the neck by a bull called Capuchino
Several foreigners, from Australians to Americans (who were among those hurt yesterday) through to Brits and Irish, are normally among the injured
A reveller falls while running with the Puerto de San Lorenzo’s fighting bulls as they enter the bullring this morning
Between 200 and 300 are usually injured each year at the festival during the bull runs, which remain immensely popular in the region
A green-shirted reveller is tossed by a Puerto de San Lorenzo’s fighting bull before entering the bullring on the second day of the festival
A brown and white bull leaves a group of revellers sandwiched together as they try to avoid being trampled by the horned creature
Musicians perform before the start of the first bullrun of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, northern Spain
Revellers hold a rolled newspaper as they sing a song to San Fermin on Santo Domingo street ahead of the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival
A bull charges run next to a Puerto de San Lorenzo fighting bull during the first bullrun of the San Fermin festival in Pamplon