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Two men gored on third day of bull-running festival

Many other participants fell and were stampeded by the head of the pack in the 930-yard (850-meter) race.

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More than 1,000 people took part in the run and it lasted nearly six minutes – twice the usual length, the AP reported.

Twelve people were injured and taken to hospital, among whom two were gored by bulls and one knocked unconscious, on the third day of bulls running in the Spanish city of Pamplona on Saturday, according to the organizer, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In Alicante, a 29-year-old Spanish man died after receiving extensive wounds to the chest and stomach after being gored by a heifer on Saturday in the early hours of the morning.

At least 16 runners have lost their lives down the years when taking part in the festival.

The four-minute run in Pamplona featured six bulls from the Jose Escolar ranch, one of which separated from the rest and caused panic among the runners.

The regional government said one American, 55 and identified by the initials P.G.O. and another aged 23 years with the initials W.R.O., were gored but their injuries were reported to be less serious.

Today was the second run in the nine-day festival where participants are chased by bulls along narrow streets toward Pamplona’s bull ring.

The Japanese man was in a stable condition in hospital, a spokesman for the festival said.

Recortadores is a bloodless form of bullfighting that sees performers calmly demonstrating their acrobatic ability in the face of grave danger, without the assistance of a cape or a sword.

The bulls used on Friday weighed between 530 and 650 kg (1,170-1,430 lbs).

Bull runs, or “encierros” as they are called in Spanish, are a traditional part of summer festivals across Spain.

The daily bull run starts at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and usually lasts between three and five minutes.

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In all, 15 people have died from gorings in the festival since record-keeping began in 1924.

Alvaro Barrientos  AP