Bullfighting Event In Colombia Ends In Tragedy As Stadium Collapses. 4 Dead, Hundreds Injured
A bullfighting event in Colombia ended in tragedy after part of a stadium collapsed, leaving four dead and hundreds of people injured.
Warning: Graphic content
A bullfighting event in Colombia ended in tragedy after part of a stadium collapsed, leaving four dead and hundreds of people injured.
The disaster took place in a stadium in the city of El Espinal in Tolima state on Sunday during a traditional event called ¡®corraleja¡¯. As many as 800 people were seated in the sections that collapsed.
AFP
Stadium collapses during bullfighting event
"At this moment, we have four (dead) victims confirmed - two women, an adult man and a minor - plus about 30 people seriously injured. Of course, we have activated all the hospitals and ambulances we can work with," Tolima Governor Ricardo Orozco told a local radio outlet, as per CNN.
Horrific footage shows people, including several matadors, screaming and scrambling to safety as the section of the wood and bamboo stands collapsed, throwing some spectators to the ground, and crushing others beneath wooden slats.
?BREAKING NEWS¡ ???Stadium has just collapsed during a bull fight in #Espinal #Columbia. ??5 DEAD, AT LEAST 500 INJURED! Several still buried under rubble. Major rescue response under way. #StadiumCollapse #BullFight #BreakingNews #Collapse pic.twitter.com/oVoP9hl7yz
¡ª Steve Norris (@SteveNorrisTV) June 26, 2022
Four dead, hundreds injured
The Tolima health secretary, Martha Palacios, said 322 people had gone to local public and private hospitals after the collapse seeking treatment. She said the minor who died was 18 months old.
As per local reports, besides the four dead, another four people were in intensive care and two others were recovering from surgery.
Outgoing Colombian President Ivan Duque stated that he will ensure an investigation of the "terrible tragedy".
Twitter/@WRadioColombia
"We lament the terrible tragedy registered in El Espinal, Tolima, during the festivals of San Pedro and San Juan, with the collapse of the stands during a corraleja," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, President-elect Gustavo Petro, called on local mayors ¡°to not authorise any more spectacles endangering the lives of people or animals¡±. He further stated that such incidents had occurred previously as well.
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