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Amazing escape as runner falls before bulls

Associated Press

A man falls in front of Fuente Ymbro fighting bulls on the seventh San Fermin Festival bull run, on 13 July in Pamplona

PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/Getty Images

A man falls in front of Fuente Ymbro fighting bulls on the seventh San Fermin Festival bull run, on 13 July in Pamplona

Three people were injured today in this season's second-to-last running of the bulls in Pamplona, but no one was gored.

The three runners were hospitalised with bumps or bruises after taking part in the seventh run at Spain's San Fermin festival, medical services spokesman Dr Fernando Boneta said.

The sprint was clean and fast, unlike yesterda, when a bull got separated from the pack and gored a runner repeatedly, throwing him into the air and plunging a horn into his thigh and chest. Three other people were gored, another one also seriously, and six others were treated for lesser injuries.

The most seriously gored runner, a 44-year-old Spaniard, remained in intensive care today.

A 27-year-old Spaniard was gored to death on Friday in the first such fatality since 1995.

Today the bulls stayed together for much of the run, and there were a significantly lower number of runners compared to over the weekend.

About halfway through today's run, one man fell in front of the pack and was trampled, although he crawled away and was not seriously hurt.

Friday's fatality raised to 15 the death toll at San Fermin since record-keeping began in 1924.

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Comments

Go Bulls!
[info]castalla wrote:
Monday, 13 July 2009 at 09:13 am (UTC)
The sooner this disgraceful spectacle is closed down, the better. It's a stain on Spain's claim to be a modern European nation.
Spain, the heaven of animal abuser
[info]emailkia wrote:
Monday, 13 July 2009 at 11:42 am (UTC)
I am happy to hear that despite Spain not illegalizing animal cruelty and not punishing animal abusers sometimes animals get the chance to punish the criminals. Good for the bull and shame on Spanish people! All species have the right to defend themselves. The participants of animal abuse in Fermin Festival Bull Run and Matadors need rather psychiatric help than fame and glory. Spain might appear as a civilized country but obviously a fake one stuck in their Middle Ages' animal cruelty.

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