A woman was gored and left seriously injured during the final bull run of the San Fermin festival in Spain on Sunday.
The 23-year-old women, who is being identified as J.E. was struck in the back by a bull. She suffered multiple rib fractures and damage to her right lung, forcing her to have surgery at Navarra Hospital and now remains in "very grave" condition, the Associated Press reports.
The woman, from Australia, was gored by a Miura bull as she hung on to wooded barriers outside the entrance of the bullring, regional health authority spokesman Javier Sesma said.
It is not common for women to be gored during the festival as most of the runners are men. According to records, only two other women have been gored by bulls in the recent history of the event,
The woman wasn't the only one to be injured during the final running though. Four other runners were hospitalized due to cuts and bruises. The other injured runners include 39-year-old man from California, a 23-year-old man from Madrid and two men from Navarra. Their injuries were not serious.
Several other people were also injured during runs in the previous two days of the festival.
On Saturday, a 19-year-old Spaniard stopped breathing after he was crushed by a pileup of runner who had fell during the race. He has since recovered consciousness and is breathing without assistance.
Also on Saturday, a 35-year-old man from Cleveland, Ohio, was gored by a bull and suffered from a "rectal perforation" that affected his stomach and kidney. He is recovering.
On Friday, Patrick Eccles, a 20-year-old University of Utah student was gored and had to have his spleen removed. He is in stable condition and is recovering.
Miura bulls, which are used during the event, can grow to weigh 1,530 pounds. They are known as Spain's biggest and fastest fighting bulls. Despite so many being injured, Sunday's run didn't last very long. It only took 2 minutes, 16 seconds to cover 928 yards from the stables. However the bulls are known for their acceleration and stamina. Due to this, the animals inspired Italian car maker, Ferruccio Lamborghini to name of of the cars after the breed.
The San Fermin festival has been going on since the late 16th century. The festival honors the patron saint of the Spanish city and it known or its all-night after parties in which revelers drink and spray plenty of red wine from Navarra and Rioja.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
