After being gored by a bull at Spain’s festival, a 55-year-old man died. This is the first such death in the country since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.
Saturday’s footage showed the animal lifting the reveller by its horns and dropping him on the ground. Thrilled onlookers sought refuge in a nearby shop doorway.
Onda was an eastern province in Castellon where party-goers tried to lure the bull away so it would not attack the injured man when he lay on the ground.
After hemorhaging blood from a wound in his left thigh close to his groin, which had perforated the femoral vein, he was immediately taken to hospital.
Officials at Onda’s town hall announced that they would suspend all events until they learnt of his death.
Saturday’s footage showed the animal lifting the reveller by its horns and dropping him on the ground. Thrilled onlookers sought refuge in a nearby shop doorway. Stock photo
The name of the gored man, who was from nearby La Vall d’Uixo has yet to be revealed.
Footage from the moment of horror showed him standing still infront of the bull as it charged.
The animal turned the man over and he crashed onto the pavement with his head and back.
He was treated by an emergency doctor on the spot before being transported by ambulance to Hospital de la Plana, near Villarreal, where he was declared dead.
One local TV station commentator could be heard saying, “We’ve had quite an strong somersault there.”
“Let’s just hope it’s not serious, but it looks like he’s lying motionless.
The Fira de Onda is an annual festival where bulls are allowed to roam freely on the streets. The regional government describes this as an “excuse for celebration”.
The central part of the celebrations is the running of the bulls, in which revellers race through the streets, much like in the famous San Fermines festival in Pamplona in northern Spain.
Last year’s coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation of Fira de Onda festival.
Saturday’s fatal bull-goring was described as the first Spanish festival to involve the animals since the beginning of the health crisis.
Onda, an eastern province of Castellon party goers, tried to lure the bull away so it would not attack the injured man as he lay on the ground. Stock photo
Onda Town hall confirmed that the incident occurred in a statement.
“The Fira de Onda” is a celebration of Onda’s patron saint festival, which takes place in the last week October.
The biggest draws are the bull events and the religious procession.
“Before the coronavirus, many revellers were put to death at Spanish festivals that involved bulls being allowed onto the streets, including the Pamplona-style “encierros.”
In 2015, seven people died in the period between July 1st and August 2nd.