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More gore at running of the bulls in Spain

Five thrill-seekers were hurt during the packed weekend run at the festival in Pamplona.

PAMPLONA, Spain - A packed running of the bulls left one daredevil gored and four others injured yesterday at Pamplona's annual San Fermin festival, officials said.

Six massive fighting bulls slipped on morning dew-dampened cobblestones and tossed people aside as they ran with them on the half-mile course through the narrow city streets to the bull ring.

The Navarra government said a 26-year-old Colombian man was taken to a hospital with a gored right buttock, a 33-year-old man from Ghana suffered a broken jaw, and a Barcelona man, 55, will require plastic surgery on his right ear.

In minor injuries, a 29-year-old Madrid resident broke his nose and a 26-year-old from Lesaka fractured his left wrist, the government said.

Minutes before the run began, police cleared the streets of about a half-dozen animal-rights protesters.

The run - the sixth in the weeklong adrenaline- and alcohol-fueled annual festival - was quick, lasting less than three minutes despite an unusually large weekend crowd of serious bull-running aficionados and revelers.

At least three of the animals from the renowned Dolores Aguirre Ybarra ranch fell, despite being accompanied by guiding steers and staff-carrying bullherds.

One runner was caught between the horns of a bull, hit first by its left horn then the right one, before being nudged to the side. That runner avoided a goring.

Several people were caught in a crush of festivalgoers and forced to dive for cover as the bulls approached, suffering cuts and bruises in the process.

In the six races so far this year, about a half-dozen runners have been gored, though none seriously. A total of 473 people received medical treatment during the first five days of the festival, 13 more than during the same period last year, the government said.

The festival in this northern city, also known for its all-night street parties, dates back to the late 16th century, though its roots reach back to the era when Spain was first Christianized.