One participant in the bull run at Spain’s San Fermin festival sustained facial injuries, while others managed to avoid serious harm in the chaotic event on Saturday. The run, which featured six bulls and accompanying steers, saw these animals charging through a crowded street course in Pamplona.
The bulls caused mayhem as they knocked people to the ground, leading to several pileups during the two-and-a-half-minute dash from the pen to the bull ring where the animals would later be killed by bullfighters. According to the University of Navarra Hospital, one runner was gored in the face, and 12 others required medical attention for various injuries.
During the 957-yard run, a black bull separated from the group and collided with a crowd, striking one individual in the face with its horn. It remains unclear whether this incident resulted in the goring. Some runners seemed oblivious to the bulls behind them and merely pushed them aside instead of attempting to evade being gored.
This bull run marked the fifth morning event of the week-long festival in northern Spain, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises,” which helped propel the San Fermin festival to global recognition.
While the last fatality at the San Fermin bull runs occurred in 2009, injuries such as gorings and broken bones are not uncommon, particularly due to the presence of inexperienced bull runners and foreign tourists alongside seasoned locals.