Bull-ring collapses in Colombia

Advertisement

The seating collapse was caught live on TV

Dozens of people have been injured after part of an improvised bullfighting ring in Planadas, Colombia, collapsed.

Spectators plunged to the ground, triggering panic and a scramble for safety as the bull approached the area.

Some 500 people were attending the event, part of an annual fiesta, when the accident happened.

The collapse of the stand was caught live on television. An investigation into what caused it is under way.

Two people dressed as clowns tried to distract the bull away from the fleeing crowds.

One injured spectator, Edna Patricia Guzman, said the venue was packed.

"The bullfighting ring was full and the organisers kept letting more people come, so it was a very strong fall," she said.

Another spectator said: "Everybody was jumping and the stands were too weak, I mean they were moving a lot, no-one paid any attention to the stands."

Rescue workers and local residents helped people at the scene. More than 80 people were reported to have been taken to the local hospital.

Diego Escobar, the health secretary for the province, said 18 people were injured, two of them children who suffered fractures.

"There are people who got injured because of the debris, some of them need stitches in the head and legs," he said.

"We are waiting for the last report that the hospital of Planadas gives us to be able to tell Colombians the reason why the bullfighting ring collapsed," he added.