54-year-old fights vainly for his life as he is repeatedly gored by a bull

The local man can be seen desperately fighting for his life in a shocking video recorded by an onlooker at the St Pere festival, in Grao de Castellon on the east coast.

Fellow revellers can be seen in the video dragging on the bull's tail to attempt to distract him from his target. 

But the bull pursues the man, who has not been named, around the town square before sending him flying through the air. 

The man attempts to stagger away from the attack, but later collapsed from his injuries. 

He died in hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning, despite medics' desperate attempts to save him.

Local officials suspended the week-long festival and confirmed that there would be three days of mourning following his death, with flags flown at half mast as a tribute.  

This was the third fatality of its kind in the last 10 days.  

On June 24 dad-of-one Martin Caballero, 43, died after being gored three times by a half-ton bull at a festival in Coria in the western province of Caceres near Spain's border with Portugal.  

Dramatic pictures showed the animal called Guapeton - Spanish for handsome boy - tossing him up in the air after its horn reached through the gap in a protective barrier and pierced his abdomen and chest. 

Another 80-year-old man died the same day in hospital after being gored twice by a bull with fireworks attached to its horns during a festival in the eastern Spanish province of Tarragona. 

A second bull, whose horns were due to be set alight during the festivities, later caused uproar at the St Peere festival by breaking free from its rope before it was due to be released. 

Although it launched attacks on several festival-goers, no one was injured.     

The use of bulls during week-long festivals face an uncertain future in many areas of Spain where left-wing coalitions have taken power after recent council elections.

Isabel Martin, the new mayoress of Paiporta near Valencia, last week went to police over death threats on social networking sites over her local government' s announcement it would no longer subsidise celebrations involving bulls.

One of the messages said: 'If she takes our bulls away, I'll kill her.' Spain's best-known festival, the San Fermines, is due to kick off in the northern city of Pamplona later today.

Six bulls chase revellers along a half-mile course through the city centre as part of morning runs called encierros. The first of the eight runs takes place tomorrow. 

 

(dailymail.co.uk)