This is the horrific moment a rampaging bull smashed through a safety barrier in a Spanish town, goring one man to death and seriously injurying three others, including a three-year-old girl.
The terrifying incident happened in Pantoja in Toledo during its patron saint festivities and has led to renewed calls for a ban on bull-running.
Witnesses said the three people gored had “no chance” as the bull ran down an enclosed corridor but smashed down a barrier gate at the end of the run, despite the gate being made of iron.
Horrific video footage shows the moment the bull crashed through the gate amid terrifying screams from the spectators.
The dead man lived in nearby Illescas and was aged 80. The child and her grandparent are all residents of Pantoja, according to the mayor of the municipality.
Do you think bull-running is cruel and dangerous? Should it be banned or is it a treasured tradition? Have your say in our comments section.
The young girl suffered a blow to her face but is recovering in hospital. Her grandparents were also gored but are not in a life-threatening condition. The grandmother was gored in the thigh, but the wound was a clean goring, which has reduced its severity.
The incident triggered a rapid response from the security forces. The Local Police intervened and shot down the bull to end the danger. Civil Guard personnel, a mobile ICU, a life support ambulance and the Pantoja civil protection group also went to the scene. In addition, a team from the Judicial Police has taken over the investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the event.
The bull run was part of the programme of the patron saint festivities in honour of Santa Bárbara, which are celebrated in Pantoja from September 20 to 28. After the tragic event, the mayor of the municipality declared that the town is “devastated” by what happened and declared the official mourning.
The mayor has called a meeting with the local clubs and associations to assess whether all the remaining events of the festivities should be cancelled.
Speaking to the media from the town’s bullring where the bull run was due to end on Tuesday, the Mayor Julian Torrejón said that both the little girl and the grandparents were outside the route that the animal was due to complete.
“We are very sorry, we offer our deepest condolences to the family and to the world of bullfighting,” he said.
It seems that, and according to his testimony, the bull “charged against the bars and one of them broke,” after which the bull left the route towards an adjacent vacant lot.
“Everything is in order, we have our insurance and our permits from the Junta and the Provincial Council, and the government delegate was there. We have been reviewing the route minutes before and everything was correct,” said the mayor.
This is the third death in Toledo connected to bull running in just two months.
Campaigners say they are always warning about the dangers and possibility of escapes.
They are sending an urgent letter to the Spanish Ombudsman to investigate the injuries caused to this girl and the fact that there are minors in areas of risk for their physical integrity and their own life.
They are pressing for immediate measures, the first of which should be “a decree prohibiting the participation and access of minors, whose ultimate objective is the strict protection of these vulnerable groups”.
PACMA has asked for political responsibility after the tragedy that has occurred in Pantoja, saying: “This unfortunate event once again highlights the risks inherent to bullfighting, where both the lives of animals and people are exposed to situations of extreme danger.”
The animal rights group has once again criticised this type of celebration, which “not only involves unnecessary suffering for the animals, but also generates situations of insecurity and risk for attendees and the general public”.
“The fact that a bull has to be shot by the local police shows the lack of control and the serious consequences of these celebrations, which every year leave tragic and painful incidents in their wake,” said Javier Luna, president of the group.