3 gored at Spanish bull run festival
Source: Agencies |
July 13, 2013, Saturday
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AN American and two Spaniards were gored yesterday during a danger-filled sixth bull run of Spain's San Fermin festival, with one loose bull causing panic in the packed streets of the city of Pamplona.
Tension soared when one of the animals charged a 31-year-old Spaniard, Diego Miralles, and tossed him on the ground with its horns for almost 30 seconds as fellow runners tried to pull it away by its tail. The man clung to one of the horns as screams were heard all around.
Helpers eventually dragged the victim to safety by his feet.
The regional government of Navarra said one American and two Spaniards were gored in the run, while another American and two Spaniards were also taken to city hospitals for other injuries suffered in falls and trampling during the frenzied event.
The local government identified the gored American as Patrick Ekols, 20.
Navarra Hospital chief Javier Sesma said doctors removed Ekols' spleen after it was found that the bull's horn had gone through the abdominal cavity and punctured the non-vital, blood-filtering organ. He said the young man was in stable condition.
Sesma said the Spaniard who had been pinned to the ground was gored three times; in the groin, knee and thigh.
"The injuries are not as serious as one would have expected on seeing the televised footage," said Sesma.
None of the six taken to the hospital was said to be in serious condition.
Hospital authorities initially said four people were gored, but the regional government revised that down to three.
The gorings were the first of this year's runs, during which thousands of thrill-seekers race daily with the bulls along a 850-meter route from a holding pen to the city bull ring.
Yesterday's event lasted just under five minutes, roughly double the normal length. Longer runs normally occur when some of the bulls get separated from the pack and become disoriented and more dangerous.
The bull that caused the most panic yesterday made several more attempts to charge people before it was eventually guided along the narrow streets to join the rest of the pack in the pen of the bull ring.
The bulls that take part each morning are invariably killed by matadors in evening bull fights, and their meat is served up in Pamplona's restaurants.
Tension soared when one of the animals charged a 31-year-old Spaniard, Diego Miralles, and tossed him on the ground with its horns for almost 30 seconds as fellow runners tried to pull it away by its tail. The man clung to one of the horns as screams were heard all around.
Helpers eventually dragged the victim to safety by his feet.
The regional government of Navarra said one American and two Spaniards were gored in the run, while another American and two Spaniards were also taken to city hospitals for other injuries suffered in falls and trampling during the frenzied event.
The local government identified the gored American as Patrick Ekols, 20.
Navarra Hospital chief Javier Sesma said doctors removed Ekols' spleen after it was found that the bull's horn had gone through the abdominal cavity and punctured the non-vital, blood-filtering organ. He said the young man was in stable condition.
Sesma said the Spaniard who had been pinned to the ground was gored three times; in the groin, knee and thigh.
"The injuries are not as serious as one would have expected on seeing the televised footage," said Sesma.
None of the six taken to the hospital was said to be in serious condition.
Hospital authorities initially said four people were gored, but the regional government revised that down to three.
The gorings were the first of this year's runs, during which thousands of thrill-seekers race daily with the bulls along a 850-meter route from a holding pen to the city bull ring.
Yesterday's event lasted just under five minutes, roughly double the normal length. Longer runs normally occur when some of the bulls get separated from the pack and become disoriented and more dangerous.
The bull that caused the most panic yesterday made several more attempts to charge people before it was eventually guided along the narrow streets to join the rest of the pack in the pen of the bull ring.
The bulls that take part each morning are invariably killed by matadors in evening bull fights, and their meat is served up in Pamplona's restaurants.
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