One participant sustained facial injuries, while others narrowly escaped harm in a tumultuous bull run at Spain’s San Fermin festival. The event saw six bulls and steer charging through densely packed streets in Pamplona, causing chaos and multiple pileups along the 957-yard course. Medical attention was required for 12 individuals with various injuries, including a runner who was gored in the face, as reported by the University of Navarra Hospital.
During the run, a black bull separated from the group and collided with bystanders, striking one person in the face with its horn. Despite the dangerous proximity of the bulls, some runners seemed oblivious and were merely pushed aside rather than gored.
This year marks the centennial anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises,” which brought international attention to the San Fermin festival. While fatalities have been rare since 2009, injuries such as gorings and fractures are not uncommon due to the mix of inexperienced runners and tourists participating alongside seasoned locals.
The bull run on Saturday was the fifth of the festival’s eight-day celebration in northern Spain.