American paralysed at Pamplona bull festival

MADRID, July 8 (Reuters) A New York man was paralysed below the waist while dodging young bulls among a crowd of revellers at Spain's San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, festival organisers said.

The 31-year-old was taken to intensive care after he was hurt while trying to escape from a bull when the animals were released in Pamplona's bullring following the famous running of the bulls through the town's streets yesterday.

Another six people were injured dodging six half-tonne bulls from the Marques de Domecq ranch, including another New Yorker, a Briton and a New Zealander who was gored in the thigh on the first day of the week-long San Fermin festival.

While the festival made famous internationally by Ernest Hemingway's novel ''The Sun Also Rises'' has ancient roots, many of the runners are now foreign tourists and the danger is increased by a tradition of drinking all night before the run.

A total of 15 people have been killed during the festival since 1924. The bulls are despatched by matadors in the afternoons following the runs.

Reuters PDS VP0415