Several spectators were injured when a bull leapt into the crowd at a “bullfight” and ran amok.
Shocking footage shows the animal sprinting along the edge of the arena before suddenly jumping over the barrier.
The audience’s cheers quickly turned into screams of panic as the bull charged through the crowd, sending spectators fleeing as it rampaged through the tiered seating area.
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The terrifying scenes unfolded at a “corraleja” event in the Castilla district of Coyaima, in Colombia’s Tolima state, on Monday (20 July), coinciding with Independence Day celebrations.
A corraleja is a traditional bull festival held mainly in parts of Colombia’s Caribbean and Andean regions.
Bulls are released into a temporary arena, where members of the public enter and interact with them.
According to preliminary reports, at least four people were seriously injured.
They were treated by emergency services and taken to medical centres, as reported by Need To Know.
Authorities are carrying out checks to confirm the exact number of people affected and the severity of their injuries.
Ricardo Suárez, Tolima’s Secretary of the Interior, told local media: “The bull jumped towards the barrier where spectators were standing and attacked some of them.
“This is the consequence of the violence that we humans continue to promote.
“We must move towards new forms of entertainment and new spectacles that genuinely enrich Tolima’s culture.
“This proves that such barbarity is neither culture nor bravery. Bullfighting must end in Tolima. It is a grotesque practice that contributes absolutely nothing to society.
“We cannot seek enjoyment at the expense of the suffering of sentient beings – animals, and bulls that do not understand what is happening to them.”
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