Four Dead And Hundreds Injured After Stadium Collapses During Bullfight In Colombia

Warning: Contains footage some people may find distressing.

At least four people have died and hundreds more have been left injured after a stadium collapsed during a bullfight in central Colombia.

Hundreds of people had gathered at a stadium in El Espinal, Tolima department in Colombia to watch the bullfight on Sunday (26 June) when the three-storey wooden stand fell down.

Footage from the event, shared by the president-elect, shows spectators fleeing the arena as the stand collapsed while a bull continued to roam around the ring.

See the events unfold below:

Tolima Governor Jose Ricardo Orozco said in a statement those who had died during the incident included two women, an adult man and a minor. About 30 people have been seriously injured, while dozens of others suffered more minor injuries.

Orozco said: "Of course, we have activated all the hospitals and ambulances we can work with."

Tolima Health Secretary Martha Palacios said local hospitals had received 322 patients who were injured in the events by Sunday night. Authorities are said to fear the death toll will continue to rise in the wake of the events.

The bullfight took place amid celebrations of the popular San Pedro festival and saw members of the public join the bull in the ring as part of the traditional 'corraleja' event. 

Espinal mayor Juan Carlos Tamayo called on locals to evacuate the area in a Facebook post following the events, writing: "We deeply regret what happened in our bullfight arena. I want to ask all the citizens who are in the area to please evacuate, authorities are already responding to the emergency and the injured have been taken to hospitals. Please, let's evacuate, together let's help the emergency services, so they can do their job."

Gustavo Petro/Twitter

Tamayo also assured authorities have already begun investigating the causes of what happened.

Major Luis Fernando Vélez, director of the civil defence department, told local Caracol television that a number of people who had been reported missing after the collapse have since been found, and said no one remained trapped in the wreckage.

Gustavo Petro, president-elect for Colombia, urged local officials to ban bullfighting events as he noted the collapse the stadium was not the first time such an incident had taken place.

"I ask mayors not to allow more events involving the death of people or animals," he said.

Just one day before the stadium collapse, several people were injured during a corralejas event in El Espinal.

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