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A man has died from his injuries after being gored at a bull-running festival in Onda, Spain.
As reported by Sky News, the 55-year-old man was repeatedly charged by a bull during the Fira de Onda event on Saturday, October 30.
Authorities confirmed that after sustaining a wound to his left thigh that perforated his femoral artery, the man bled to death at a hospital in the nearby town of Villarreal. Emergency services also added that the man - who has not been named - suffered a wound to his head.
According to reports, other participants at the festival had attempted to distract the bull and entice it away from the man - but were unsuccessful.
The Daily Mail reports that footage of the incident showed the man being lifted into the air by the animal, as other festival-goers took shelter in a doorway just feet away. The man was then left lying unconscious on the ground.
The man's death is the first related fatality in the country since bull-running events returned following restrictions put in place as a result of the pandemic.
Officials from Onda council responded to this incident by canceling all further bull-running events that were planned at the festival - which is set to end today (October 31). A statement from the council read: "Due to the death of a man this afternoon and as a sign of respect and show of condolence, the rest of the programmed night-time events have been suspended."
The Guardian reports that other activities at the festival were not affected.
The fatality comes as the discussion surrounding bull-running and other similar events continues to grow more heated.
In a 2020 survey by the polling company Electomania, 46.7% of Spanish people questioned were in favor of banning bullfighting - whereas, 18.6% of those asked believed the "tradition" should be preserved. Nearly 35% of people asked were against bullfighting, but did not support a legal ban.
Sky News states that yesterday's fatality is just the latest in a string of incidents over the last few years. In 2019, one man died after being gored at the Pamplona bull run, while five others were injured.
A year prior, at the same event, 28 people were injured.
And in 2015, a French tourist lost their life after being gored at a festival in Pedreguer, Alicante.
Published 08:32 20 Aug 2019 GMT
As Spain's infamous 'Running of the Bulls' event continues, it has been revealed that a 59-year-old father-of-three has lost his life after being fatally gored during the Spanish street festival.
Per the Daily Mail, local media has identified the man as Vicente Asensio Martinez, with several reports claiming he was gored three times - twice in the abdomen, and once in the leg. He lost his life on his way to a nearby hospital.
The incident occurred at 8:45am on Saturday, during the Chiva municipality in the eastern region of Valencia during the 'Torico de la Cuerda' ('Running of the Bulls') - an event where groups of civilians run in front of a small group of cattle that have been let loose in a sectioned-off subset of a town.
The Mail reports that a second man was also gored at the event, but managed to survive.
Pictures and footage from the event show the moment the bull charged at a group of people trapped in a doorway.
Warning - Some people may find the following footage distressing:
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Commission President Juanjo Farinas revealed that Asensio Martinez was a father to three daughters who live in Valencia, and that he was visiting Chiva on vacation.
Despite the tragedy, officials did not cancel the event, but the city council did announce two minutes of silence to honor Asensio Martinez. The council also added that the event "had all the security measures and insurance required by law".
It is still unknown what happened to the bull.
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RunningOfTheBulls.com reports that 16 people have died during the event, since the first recorded fatality in 1922. The tradition originally dates back to the 13th century.
This year's event came to a close on August 19.
The news of Asensio Martinez's death comes just hours after animal rights activists captured footage of a young bull collapsing from exhaustion after being forced to perform.
Once again, some viewers may find this footage upsetting:
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The footage was captured at a French bullfighting school, where, according to One Voice, children as young as six are taught bullfighting. And towards the end of the year, the students can allegedly earn a "reward" where they end the life of a young bull in the arena in front of a crowd of spectators.
Three men have died in the span of just 24 hours from injuries they sustained while taking part in bull-running festivals in eastern Spain.
Per BBC News, Valencia's bull-running festivals, known as bous al carrer, entail participants running in front of at least one fighting bull while they charge through towns.
They form part of a long-standing tradition in this region of the Mediterranean country, with many towns holding events of this nature every year.
The three men who succumbed to their injuries had all been very seriously wounded during events in the last few weeks.
One of the deadly incidents, which occurred in Picassent, saw a 56-year-old man who was standing behind a block in the middle of street get thrown in the air by a bull, after which he suffered substantial injuries to his brain. He passed away on Tuesday in hospital in Valencia - just over a week after the ordeal.
A 50-year-old man also died in hospital due to injuries to his lung when it was pierced by a bull in Meliana, north of Valencia.
A 64-year-old French visitor passed away on Monday from injuries he sustained in Pedreguer.
Addressing the incident, the mayor of Meliana emphasized that the bull was just an animal and that tragedies of this nature were at the peril of those participating or nearby.
Fatal incidents have become an increasing consequence of bull-running events in the last few years.
This year, at Spain's most well-known festival, the San Fermin running of the bulls in Pamplona, 35 injuries were reported. It was the first time in three years that it had been held, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Naturally, animal rights groups in the country have campaigned against such festivals, with Spain's party for the animals (Pacma) calling for their abolition, and taking to task the organizers of the three Valencia festivals for putting the lives of residents in danger as well as inflicting harm on the creatures involved.
Those in favor of the festivals argue that the bous al carrer season supports Valencia's economy. Per BBC News, data from 2019 found that it allowed for the opening of over 3,000 jobs and brought in $300 million, with nearly 10,000 events a year.
A Spanish regional government has revealed that a tense bull run at Pamplona’s San Fermín Festival has left three people injured.
As reported by the New York Post, a 25-year-old man from Sunrise, Florida, and two 29-year-old Spanish men, sustained injuries via goring during the fifth bull run at the festival on Monday (July 11).
According to the outlet, the American man - only identified by local officials by the initials M.T - suffered the awful injury from inside the bullring after one of the bulls ensnared several runners against a fence.
The Navarra regional government said that both Spaniards were also gored, one in the knee and one in the groin, and three other runners suffered injuries during the event.
The festival has long been deemed controversial and has seen 16 deaths since 1910. It made its return this year following a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Per People, outlets said the goring incidents are the first to emerge at this year's festival.
According to ABC News, the bull run lasted just over three minutes as hundreds of runners ran ahead and alongside six fighting bulls as they charged through the northern city.
The run concluded at Pamplona’s bullring, where later in the day the bulls were killed by professional bullfighters, in what animal rights advocates consider a horrible practice.
As they have in previous years, animal rights activists protested in Pamplona earlier this month, according to the Washington Post. However, the protests do little as the city normally sees tens of thousands of visitors come to the festival.
Other animal rights organizations including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), also oppose the act of bullfighting.
Chelsea Monroe, PETA senior digital campaign officer, told the post: "Bullfighting is the long ritualized execution of bulls and many tourists who come to the bull-runs don't actually realize that the same bulls they're running down a couple of streets with are later killed in the bullring that day."
"They're stabbed over and over again for 20 minutes until they're dead," said Monroe. "We want the tourists to know that their money is supporting this really cruel industry."
Jana Uritz of AnimalNaturalis also shared a statement in the same sentiment, saying: "The debate over the future of bullfighting in Spain has never been so alive and the authorities must take a clear stance."
"We demand the necessary courage from them to say whether they favor animal torture or, on the contrary, are ready to prohibit such barbarities," she added.
Despite opposition, bullfighting is still extremely popular in Spain, although the movement against it has increased in recent years.
Bullfighting is only banned in the Canary Islands, although it is not practiced much, if at all, in other regions such as Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands.
Published 15:54 09 Jul 2022 GMT
Seven people have been rushed to hospital on the third day of Pamplona’s San Fermin Festival in Spain.
As reported by Metro, a total of seven men - six Spanish nationals and one man from France - required hospital treatment following Saturday morning's bull run.
The news comes after protesters and animal rights activists took to the streets of Pamplona on Tuesday to march against what many believe to be an archaic tradition of the Spanish culture.
Some of the protesters were wearing dinosaur outfits and were holding signs reading "bullfighting is prehistoric".
The festival has been on hiatus over the last two years as a result of the pandemic, but Saturday morning's "encierro" (run) once again saw thousands of people running through the narrow and cobblestoned streets of the city to avoid six large bulls and six oxen.
Despite initial reports that two of the men had been gored, it has emerged that none of the men were seriously hurt and are all expected to make a full recovery.
However, a handful of the runners were stomped on and/or knocked down by the animals.
Metro reports that after the three-minute run, the bulls will be killed in the afternoon by professional bullfighters.
Tuesday's protest was led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Spanish NGO AnimalNaturalis.
Per The Washington Post, PETA senior digital campaign officer Chelsea Monroe states: "Bullfighting is the long ritualized execution of bulls and many tourists who come to the bull-runs don’t actually realize that the same bulls they’re running down a couple of streets with are later killed in the bullring that day.
"They’re stabbed over and over again for 20 minutes until they’re dead," she said. "We want the tourists to know that their money is supporting this really cruel industry."
Additionally, Jana Uritz of AnimalNaturalis echoed these sentiments, saying in a statement: "The debate over the future of bullfighting in Spain has never been so alive and the authorities must take a clear stance. We demand the necessary courage from them to say whether they favor animal torture or, on the contrary, are ready to prohibit such barbarities."
Attracting thousands of people each year - from Spain and abroad - the San Fermin Festival dates back to the 12th century.
Many of the more seasoned bull runners will often run just feet ahead of the charging bulls, before attempting to avoid injury at the last moment.
A Spanish man was gored to death by a bull that had its horns set on fire during a traditional bull-running festival.
Video footage is said to show 24-year-old Adrian Martínez Fernández being maimed by the imposing creature in Vallada, Valencia, on Sunday, August 21. Clearly visible in the video are the bull's horns, which had been set alight as part of the controversial festivities.
According to The Telegraph, Fernández was rushed to hospital after the attack but soon succumbed to his injuries.
Spectators watched on as the man's spleen was ruptured when the animal launched its attack.
Vallada authorities have since suspended the festival, which is named after a patron saint. Another event was due to take place on Monday.
Per the Daily Mail, Fernández had made his way to the festival from Almansa, only to meet his fate when a bull with flaming horns gored him to death.
A bull with its horns set alight is known as a "toro embolado" - or in English, "bull with balls" - and is a common feature at such events in the Mediterranean country.
The agony that the animal is under when its horns are set on fire provokes it into a frenzy, increasing the danger aspect.
Participants then try their best to dodge the creature as it darts about in distress.
When news of the man's death emerged on Sunday night, a minute's silence was held to commemorate him.
The celebrations are part of Vallada's festivities in honor of its patron saints: San Bertomeu, the Santísimo Cristo del Monte Calvario and the Virgen de Gracia.
Back in 2013, bullfighting was declared part of Spain's national heritage by the nation's conservative government. Essentially, this thwarts attempts to outlaw the traditional practice.
Earlier this year, in May, a 50-year-old dad of two sustained fatal injuries after being gored by a bull in Carpio, Valladolid, central Spain.
Just days later, on May 6, a 30-year-old man died after he was maimed at a bull festival in Portaje, Caceres, western Spain.
Earlier this month, a separate bull-running festival in Valencia was forced to come to an end after two minors were permitted to light the horns of a bull, violating regulations which ban children from participating.
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