More than 20 people have been hospitalised after half-tonne bulls ploughed into a human pile-up in the Spanish city of Pamplona in a bloody day for the celebrated San Fermin festival.

Bulls and steers charged into the runners who were stuck in the narrow entrance to a bullring at the end of the dash through the town's cobbled streets.

At least two of the animals leapt over the pile, crushing runners under their hooves. Panicked festival-goers in traditional white shirts and red neckerchiefs scrambled over those in front of them and others tried to pull the fallen free.

The rest of the animals - of the six bulls and six steers that ran - were herded to the arena through a side passage.

Several people were also trampled under the bulls' hooves during the crowded 850-metre run which lasted four minutes and 15 seconds.

It was the seventh day of bull-running at the fiesta in Pamplona, which draws festival-goers and daredevils from around the world.

Javier Sesma, head of the emergency unit of the local Navarra Hospital, told reporters that 23 people were hospitalised overall: four in the run and 19 in the pile-up.

These included a 19-year-old Spaniard who was in a serious condition with a chest injury and a 28-year-old Irishman with a less severe injury, also to his chest.

The 19-year-old was "in an especially serious condition with a chest trauma causing breathing problems, and is requiring breathing apparatus," Mr Sesma said.

An 18-year-old Spaniard was gored in the armpit in the pile-up and a 35-year-old from Cleveland, Ohio, was gored in the buttock during the dash to the ring.

Investigation into cause of human pile-up

Local government minister Javier Morras said the authorities were analysing what caused the pile-up, which was broadcast live on public television.

Mr Morras told reporters that one of the inner doors to the arena had got pushed shut in the rush, narrowing access and contributing to the pile-up.

He said measures would be taken to prevent such accidents during the eighth and final of this year's bull-runs on Sunday morning (local time).

Saturday's chaotic run more than doubled the overall number of those hospitalised in the bull runs since July 7, which had stood at 22 before Saturday's charge.

During Friday's run, bulls gored three men including a 20-year-old American.

Fifteen people have been killed in the bull runs since records began in 1911. The most recent death was four years ago when a bull gored a 27-year-old Spaniard in the neck, heart and lungs.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-14/spain-bull-run-leaves-23-in-hospital-after-pile-up/4818930

Edited by ozboy: 14/7/2013 11:11:40 AM

Karma?

Yay?

-PB

lol pretty sure my cousin was doing this one, he seems to have got through unscathed.

yay? wtf is wrong with you ozzie?

He obviously is opposed to the bull-run

It's just the bulls getting some justice before they're slaughtered in the ring.

I am actually on board with Ozboy's sentiments on this one. But "Yay!" is not OK.

You know the risks when you participate and people who get gored probably get what's coming to them, but "yay" is a bit over the top.

This is a stupid activity, but still not great when people, even people acting very stupidly, get hurt.

I don't agree with it but like thuper and afro said yay isn't the best way to say .

Ozboy deliberately being an offensive prick? Well I never.

Well almost. An Aussie girl got gored this morning, but it looks like she'll live, so seems the humans win. Such odds stacked against us too.....

Why not?

I cheer every time some fuck wit decides that it's a good idea to stand in front of an organised stampede and the bull gets to gored them.

The fact that we continue to find this culturally acceptable (along with Bull fighting) is absurd, If the only win the bull gets in its life is that it gets to gored some dumb prick stupid enough to try and out run a charging bull than good for it.

Why side with the humans in this one. Why find it unacceptable to reveal in the casualty of human life, but be okay with the inhuman treatment of the animals involved?

With OzBoy on this one.

Twenty three stone-aged barbarians got exactly what was coming.

On no! He said "yay". Won't some one please think of the children.

Lol so typical of the Australian nanny state mentality to criticize this, Do you really think these people don't fully understand the risks before they take part ? it's kinda laughable to get up on your high horse about it. You guys probably do the same with base jumpers etc.

What animal torture is related to the practice of base jumping?

Edited by ozboy: 15/7/2013 04:09:23 PM

Running with the bulls isn't the "torture" part

Kinda disappointed no one was seriously injured.

This whole story is a load of bull.

That joke made me horn-y

Do you have a beef with me?

I think you're milking this joke

I dairy you to take it further.

This is udder rubbish

This whole thread was a misteak.

I think it's very amoosing

Wishing death on them. I'd say that's "a bit of a dick move" but that would be an understatement.

People who participate in the bull run know what they're getting themselves into but you really are just being a cunt.

Boring.

Needed a Red Bull just to get through the thread.