According to local reports, the collapse of the spectator stand during a bullfight in Colombia injured 500 people and killed five. There are fears that the death toll will rise as many viewers are still missing. The accident took place at a makeshift stadium in Espinal in Tolima during the annual celebrations of San Juan and San Pedro. Tolima Governor Ricardo Orozco told local radio that at least four people were killed, including two women, a man and a child, and 60 others were injured. The accident happened during a “choralega”, a traditional event in which members of the public are encouraged to jump into the ring to run with the bulls.
Footage from the stadium shows the moment when the stands, filled with hundreds of spectators, slowly leaned forward before crumbling and collapsing.
Espinal City Hall said in a statement: “We deeply regret what happened in the bullring. We want to call the whole society to calmness. Immediately after the collapse, first aid services responded promptly and successfully evacuated the injured to first aid stations at the San Rafael Municipal Hospital.”
Translated by Bernard Al Tayyar