08-07-2025
Daredevils are thrown into the air and smashed by bull as first person is gored by bull in this year's Running of the Bulls festival in Spain
Spain 's famous Running of the Bulls festival saw its first gore injury this morning as five people were taken to hospital.
A fighting bull which became separated from the rest of the pack caused chaos and panic among revellers.
The 575 kilo (90 stone) animal called Caminante, or 'Walker', lifted one runner into the air and smashed him down onto the tarmac of Pamplona's old town on his head.
At one point it even turned on one of the ranchers trying to guide it towards pens in the bullring at the end of the half-mile course.
Towards the finish it appeared to dig its horns into the stomach one of the six steers that accompany the six fighting bulls on each of the eight morning runs, narrowly missing a reveller in traditional festival attire who was sprawled helpless on his back.
Today's drama during the second morning run, known in Spanish as an encierro, meant it was five minutes and 22 seconds before Caminante reached the end of the course.
The last of the bulls to finish yesterday took just over two and a half minutes to finish.
In an initial casualty round-up moments after the end of the day two encierro, a Red Cross official confirmed one person had suffered a gore wound and had been among five people taken to hospital.
It was not immediately clear how bad the injury was although the victim is said to have been gored in the arm.
One participant speaking after the event said: 'It was panic out there today. It's a miracle if only one person ended up getting gored. It could have been into double figures.'
The bulls that starred in today's run were from the Cebada Gago ranch in the province of Cadiz and have a reputation for being the most dangerous.
Caminante was the second heaviest of the six fighting bulls that took part, with another called Lioso weighing in at a whopping 580 kilos (just over 91 stone).
Yesterday five people were rushed to hospital after being injured during the first encierro, all men from Spain aged 21 to 49.
One suffered a serious chest trauma injury and was left with multiple rib fractures.
The famous festival in the northern Spanish town, popularly known as the Sanfermines, kicked off at midday on Sunday with the traditional opening ceremony called the Chupinazo.
Thousands of revellers dressed in the must-wear white outfits with a red bandana around their necks ending up soaked in wine and sangria.
The San Fermin festival runs until 14 July 2025
Sixteen people have been killed during the bull runs 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.
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.
The first of the eight encierros last year took place four hours after a San Fermin reveller collapsed and died.
Police rushed to the scene and tried to save the 40-year-old man but were unable to resuscitate him.
