Four people were seriously injured when a bull leaped into the crowd at a festival in Colombia's Castilla district of Coyaima on Monday. The incident occurred during a 'Corraleja' event, a traditional festival where a bull is released into a ring and participants can tease it.
Video footage showed the bull charging people in the ring before vaulting over a fence and into the stands. The festive cheers turned to panic as spectators fled, with some jumping into the ring to escape the animal. One woman was trampled by the bull as she attempted to flee.
Ricardo Suárez, Tolima's Secretary of the Interior, stated that the incident was a consequence of human-promoted violence and called for an end to bullfighting in Tolima. "This proves that such barbarity is neither culture nor bravery," Suárez said. "Bullfighting must end in Tolima. It is a grotesque practice that contributes absolutely nothing to society."
Emergency responders treated the injured individuals, who were subsequently taken to a hospital. An investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the injuries and the precise number of people harmed.
This event follows a similar incident in Spain during the San Fermin festival, where a 10-day festival in Pamplona resulted in ten injuries, including a goring to the left elbow and wounds to the eyebrow and right hand of an 86-year-old British tourist. Another British participant, William Mitchinson, 24, was hospitalized with an ankle injury after being knocked down and trampled by a bull.