A bull injured four people when it leaped into a crowd during a festival in Coyaima, Colombia, on Monday. The incident occurred during a 'Corraleja' event, a traditional festival where a bull is released into an arena and the public can taunt it.
Video footage from the event shows the bull charging people in the ring shortly after its release. It then jumped over a fence and into a packed section of spectators, causing panic. Screams erupted as festivalgoers fled the stands, with some reportedly jumping back into the ring to escape the animal.
One woman was trampled by the bull as she attempted to flee within the stands. A man intervened by grabbing the bull by its tail, enabling others to escape.
The four injured individuals received treatment from emergency responders and were taken to a hospital. An investigation is underway to confirm the exact number of people hurt and the severity of their injuries.
Ricardo Suárez, Tolima's Secretary of the Interior, commented on the incident, stating, 'The bull jumped towards the barrier where spectators were standing and attacked some of them.' He added, 'This is the consequence of the violence that we humans continue to promote.' Suárez advocated for alternative forms of entertainment, saying, 'We must move towards new forms of entertainment and new spectacles that genuinely enrich Tolima's culture.' He concluded, 'This proves that such barbarity is neither culture nor bravery. Bullfighting must end in Tolima. It is a grotesque practice that contributes absolutely nothing to society. We cannot seek enjoyment at the expense of the suffering of sentient beings - animals, and bulls that do not understand what is happening to them.'
This incident follows another bull-related injury at the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, Spain, the previous week. An 86-year-old British tourist was among ten people injured during the festival's final day on July 14, suffering goring wounds and other injuries. Another British participant, 24-year-old William Mitchinson, was hospitalized with an ankle injury after being knocked down while running from bulls.