Chaos at Pamplona's San Fermin Festival as Bull Gores Runner and Dozens Injured

During the third bull run of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona on Thursday morning, a runner was gored in the left arm by a bull, and at least ten others sustained injuries from being trampled or falling. Seven of the injured were hospitalized. The run lasted just over two minutes but was marked by unusual chaos due to a bottleneck of runners in the narrow Estafeta Street, causing a chain reaction of falls and splitting the herd. Reuters reported that injuries also occurred in the previous days: on the first day, five runners were hurt, three hospitalized mainly from falls, and on the second day, three more were injured, including one gored by a bull.

The San Fermin Festival takes place annually from July 6 to 14, featuring six bulls weighing up to 600 kilograms released at 8:00 AM to run an 850-meter course through Pamplona's historic streets. Hundreds of runners attempt to outrun the bulls to the bullring. Each year, hundreds of injuries are recorded, mostly from falls and crowding, with fewer caused by direct bull goring. Since official records began, 16 people have died in the runs, the last fatality occurring in 2009.

Beyond the adrenaline and danger, the event holds significant cultural importance in Spain. This year marks 100 years since American author Ernest Hemingway published "The Sun Also Rises," which popularized the Pamplona bull runs worldwide. However, the tradition remains controversial, with animal rights groups in Spain and Europe calling annually for its cancellation, labeling it animal cruelty and an outdated custom. Conversely, many Pamplona residents and participants view the festival as an integral part of local identity and heritage, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors globally each year.