Runner Gored in Face During San Fermin Bull Run

During Spain’s San Fermin festival, one runner was gored in the face and twelve others were injured during a chaotic bull run in Pamplona. The incident occurred as six bulls charged through narrow streets packed with thrill-seekers.

The six bulls and accompanying steers ran for two-and-a-half minutes from their pen to the bull ring, where they will be fought later in the day. According to HuffPost, one runner was pierced by a horn in the face while twelve others needed medical treatment for various injuries as reported by University of Navarra Hospital. A black bull broke away from the pack early during the 875-meter run and plowed into a group of people, smacking one full in the side of the face with a horn. It was not clear if that was the moment of the goring.

The San Fermin festival is an eight-day event held annually in northern Spain, celebrating its 100th anniversary since Ernest Hemingway's novel “The Sun Also Rises”, which launched the festival to international fame. Saturday’s bull run was the fifth morning run of this year’s festival.

The last death at San Fermin's bull runs occurred in 2009, but gorings and broken bones are common due to a large number of novice bull runners and foreign tourists joining experienced locals. The event attracts thousands of people from around the world every year to take part in the famous encierros.