Bull run tragedy in central Spain: One dead, three injured

One person is dead and three others injured during a bull run organised in conjunction with a local festival in the town of Pantoja in central Spain, according to media in the country. The police shot the animal.

In recent days, traditional bull runs have been taking place in several towns in Spain. During these events, crowds run along a prepared route ahead of bulls heading towards the site of the controversial bullfight.

During the bull run organised on Tuesday, a bull broke through the protective barriers at one point of the route, killing a 73-year-old man and injuring three people, including a four-year-old girl.

On Wednesday morning, the press reported that two people are still in hospital, with one of them, an 83-year-old man, in the intensive care unit.

Local authorities have declared an official day of mourning, expressing regret over the tragic events. This is not the first time animals have injured or killed participants during a traditional bull run. Last year in Pamplona, the bulls injured as many as six people.

In contrast to the bullfight, during the bull run (encierro), the bull is not killed; the aim is the run itself and the accompanying adrenaline rush. The most famous encierro takes place in the first half of July in Pamplona during the festival in honour of the city's patron saint, St. Fermin.

Although it is customary not to kill bulls during the encierro, officials overseeing the event decide to take such a step in extreme cases where there is a threat to human life. This is one of the reasons why, for years, animal protection foundations and an increasing number of Spaniards have opposed the age-old tradition.