A 55-year-old Spanish man bled to death after being gored in the leg by a bull during a festival in which the animals are released into the streets, local authorities said Sunday.

The town hall of Onda, in the eastern Spanish province of Castellon, said in a statement that it would suspend Sunday�s last day of bull-running following the goring on Saturday afternoon during the annual festival.

The local Levante news site said that the man was taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors couldn�t save him.

It is the first known death during a running-of-the-bulls since the festivals returned to many towns across Spain after a pandemic-imposed pause. Despite the occasional casualties and growing opposition from animal rights groups, racing bulls or cows remains a popular tradition. Two other people were injured during a similar bull-run in another town, Levante reported.

The most well-known event internationally is Pamplona�s San Ferm�n festival, which was held annually before the pandemic and boasted eight races on consecutive days through the northern city�s narrow, cobbled streets. Its next edition is expected in July 2022, after a two-year hiatus.

(AP)