A 52-year-old man was gored to death by a bull that almost decapitated him in front of a horrified crowd during a popular event in Spain, according to a report.
The man, identified only by his initials, AEL, was standing near spectator cages along the route on the final day of the Cristo de l’Alcora event in the province of Castellón when the bull attacked him.
The animal pushed the man, a resident of the nearby town of Vall d’Uixo, into railings and tossed him into the air violently with its horns, according to the UK’s Mirror, which posted graphic footage of the attack.
“I saw it. It was horrific. His head was nearly hanging off. It made my stomach churn,” one onlooker said.
Another witness posted online: “I haven’t seen such an horrendous attack for years. My legs are still shaking.”
The local council called off the rest of the festivities and offered “sincere condolences” to the family and friends of the victim, who also sustained a severed artery in his thigh.
He was rushed to the General Hospital of Castellon, where he died after undergoing emergency surgery, the news outlet reported.
L’Alcora was celebrating the final day of its annual festivities and the deadly attack occurred during the third bull run.
The incident marked the second fatality involving a bull in four days after a 62-year-old man suffered “several deadly horn blows” Thursday in the Spanish town of Cuéllar, near Madrid, according to the Daily Star.
Animal rights activists have increased their calls for such events — a cultural tradition in Spain — to be banned.