Pamplona bull running: Five wounded on first day of controversial Spanish festival

Thousands flock to Pamplona for the San Fermín festival

Five people were injured after Saturday's bull running event in Pamplona (EPA)

One person has been gored and four others injured on the first day of a traditional bull-running festival in Pamplona.

A bull’s horn injured the individual during the two-and-a-half-minute sprint through the winding streets of the city in the north of Spain, according to the Red Cross.

The four others who were hurt suffered from grazes and other minor injuries. All five were taken to hospital.

Around 2,000 people usually attend the event, which sees people run with six bulls and six bullocks along a 875m route.

This year the sprint was faster than average and rain from the previous night had left the ground wet.

On average, around seven people are hurt each year on the Saturday during the bull-run, which is statistically the most dangerous day of the nine day San Fermín festival.

At least 16 people have died during the festival since 1910, with the most recent fatality in 2009, but minor injuries are far more common, due to falls.

People generally dress in white and wear red neck scarves at the bull-running event in Pamplona’s narrow streets.

The event has hit headlines over an assault in 2016 in which an 18-year-old woman was sexually abused during the event by five men who have become known as “The Wolf Pack”.

There were protests after the group were cleared of rape and convicted of a lesser charge of sexual abuse, and further demonstrations after they were released on bail last month.

But event organisers and local politicians have assured that the event is safe for women and an app has been launched allowing people to report an assault at the touch of a button on their phone.

Agencies contributed to this report