VALENCIA – An 80-year-old Spanish man has died at the Sagunto hospital in Valencia after being gored by a young adult bull during the bull festivities on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Canet de Berenguer.
The death places 2022 as the most tragic year for accidents at popular festivals where bulls are used for entertainment. The man died after several hours in the ICU of the Sagunto hospital in Valencia.
The events took place on Wednesday during the Camp de Morvedre celebrations. The man got confused and entered the area where the bulls were because he thought there was no danger. However, he was immediately attacked.
Moments of great tension followed as the man was cornered by the animal. The bull remained furious despite the efforts of bystanders to distract him and grab his tail. The old man suffered several blows during the attack, as well as several broken ribs and a ruptured lung.
With this fatal accident, 2022 is already the most tragic year in the ‘bous al carrer’ celebrations. Furthermore, it surpasses the seven fatalities in 2015.
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After the dramatic incident, the city council decided to let the festivities continue, because of the “unfeasibility” to suspend them.
Minute of silence
It was announced from the town hall there was great dismay. All participants of the bull run were deeply affected by the event. It was also decided that a minute’s silence would be observed at the beginning of all subsequent events during the festivities out of respect for the families of the victims. Furthermore, condolences were also conveyed.
Safety “at all times” guaranteed
The mayor of Canet has pointed out that the municipal authorities are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of participants in this bullfighting tradition “at all times”. For example, strict care is taken that no underage participants enter the site or people under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“Accident”
The city official acknowledged that the old man’s death turned out to be “an accident” and emphasised it was a “one-off” situation where no one was able to prevent the horrific incident, as it was a “mistake”.
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According to official data from 2019, in the Valencian Community, 8,500 bullfights are held every year in more than 50% of the municipalities with an impact of more than €300 million on the autonomous community.
