At least four people have been killed and more than 300 were injured after a stand collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia.
Footage of the collapse quickly went viral on social media. It showed dozens of people teasing and playing with a bull during the popular event known as Corralejo. Suddenly, three levels of the stand collapsed, trapping hundreds of men, women and children underneath.
Another drone footage of the horrifying incident showed people trying to escape from the stands while a bull continues to roam in the arena. As people screamed, some even jumped off their seats and rushed to help, trying to heave wood and other debris aside.
The traditional Corralejo event involved members of the public entering the ring to engage the bulls. The tragedy took place in El Espinal, a small town located around 95 miles southwest of Bogota. Every year, the mayor's office and private parties in the region organise events to celebrate the Feast of Saint Peter on June 29.
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The bullring is erected for a spectacle that originated on the Caribbean coast when Colombia was a Spanish colony. According to Washington Post, the bullring was built with gadua bamboo, and the multiple levels were packed with spectators.
Speaking to the outlet, the head of the regional civil defence agency said, “A gadua bamboo structure is pretty unstable. Organizers should have foreseen this could happen.”
Separately, another civil defence official Luis Fernando Velez said that they did not know how many people were still buried in the debris. However, Mr Velez noted that the section of the stands was full when it collapsed.
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The governor of the Tolima department, Jose Ricardo Orozco, has also said that the departmental government would move to ban the Corralejas. He said that the event was dangerous and promoted animal abuse.
