The running of the bulls festival attracts a large crowd. (Representative photo)
A 61-year-old man died after being attacked by a bull at a festival in Valencia, Spain. According to the BBCThe incident took place on Saturday in the town of Pobla de Farnals. The man was rushed to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery, but died on Sunday. His 63-year-old friend was also attacked on both legs by the same bull and is in stable condition in the hospital, the outlet said. The video of the incident has also emerged on social media.
The bull running festival attracts huge crowds and has seen a number of incidents in recent years with spectators and participants seriously injured.
The identity of the victim has not been released, the spokesperson said Independent.
During the festival, bulls are released into the streets and runners run in front of them – something that has become controversial in Spain. Activists have pointed out that this amounts to animal cruelty and puts the people involved at risk.
Rights groups AnimaNaturalis and CAS International conducted a study, which showed that more than 1,820 running of the bulls take place in all Spanish municipalities every year.
Despite the complaints, these events are held regularly. The best known is held in the northern city of Pamplona.
The BBC said the bull running season provides a much-needed boost to Valencia’s economy. Citing a 2019 study, it was stated that these festivals created more than 3,000 jobs and generated wealth worth €300 million.
In a similar incident, two men, aged 50 and 46, died after being struck by bulls in Valencia. In 2015, a person from the US and another from the UK during a bull running festival in San Fermin.
