A 26-year-old man died on Thursday night after being gored in his left calf by a young bull released at the El Pinós fiestas, in Spain’s southeastern Alicante province, according to the Spanish Civil Guard.
The animal thrust its horns 20 centimeters deep into the man’s leg at around 7.45pm on Thursday, as the 26-year-old was standing near the steps located at the center of the square where the festival is held.
The young man, who was a local the nearby town of Petrer, was taken to Elda hospital where he died just before 11pm.
Pinoso is heartbroken. The start of this fair and fiestas could not be sadder. Sadly, a young man from Petrer was badly gored when a bull was released this afternoon and has died. Speaking for both myself and the town of El Pinós, I wish to convey my most sincere condolences to the young man’s family at this difficult time. A 24-hour mourning period has been decreed and tomorrow at 12pm, there will be a minute of silence outside the city council. RIP.
After learning of the death, the mayor of El Pinós Lázaro Azorín shared a message on social media saying the town was “heartbroken” and that the start of the festival “could not have been sadder.”
“Speaking for both myself and the town of El Pinós, I wish to convey my most sincere condolences to the young man’s family at this difficult time,” he wrote, adding that a 24-hour mourning period has been decreed and that a minute of silence will be held on Saturday, August 3, in front of the city council.
The Petrer council also expressed its regret over the “the tragic incident” on its official Facebook page and conveyed its condolences to the family.
English version by Heather Galloway.