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The government press office identified the American gored only by his initials – P.E. – and gave his age as 20.

Navarra Hospital chief Javier Sesma said doctors removed the American’s spleen after it was found that the bull’s horn had gone through the abdominal cavity and punctured the non-vital, blood-filtering organ. He said the young man was in stable condition.

Sesma said the Spaniard that had been pinned to the ground was gored three times; in the groin, knee and thigh.

“The injuries are not as serious as one would have expected on seeing the televised footage,” said Sesma.

None of the six taken to the hospital was said to be in serious condition.

Hospital authorities initially said four people were gored but the regional government revised that down to three.

The gorings were the first of this year’s runs, during which thousands of thrill-seekers race daily with the bulls along a 850-metre route from a holding pen to the city bull ring.

Friday’s event lasted just under five minutes, roughly double the normal length. Longer runs normally occur when some of the bulls get separated from the pack and become disoriented and more dangerous.

The black bull which caused most panic Friday made several more attempts to charge people before he was eventually guided along the narrow streets to join the rest for the pack in the pen of the packed bull ring.