Terrified spectators screamed when a 508kg bull suddenly cleared a safety barrier and launched itself towards the front rows during a bullfight in Spain.

The six-year-old animal, named Malacara, had been taking part in a mounted bullfight at the Plaza de Toros de Murcia in Murcia on September 20 when the dramatic incident unfolded.

Footage shows the bull being goaded by matadors before suddenly charging towards one of the performers.

The matador backed against the wooden fence as the animal changed direction sharply.

Malacara then veered towards the left side of the ring and leapt over the safety barrier, sending the crowd into panic.

Among those closest to the action was a spectator who had been filming the spectacle.

The bull appeared to fly towards the front-row seats, but a concrete wall between the barrier and spectators helped prevent anyone from being struck.

Spectators feared they were about to be gored

Juan Perez, who was sitting several rows back, said he watched the bull jump directly towards the crowd.

“I saw it with my own eyes, the bull jumping over the fence into the crowd,” he said.

“The animal was out-of-control. It was extremely lucky that nobody was injured. There were women in those seats and they were close to being gored by the bull’s horns.”

After reaching the ringside area, Malacara was seen running along the edge of the arena before being ushered back onto the sand.

The bullfight then continued, and Malacara was eventually killed in accordance with the local tradition.

An official said Portuguese bullfighter Duarte Fernandes used a killing lance, known as a rejon de muerte, before a short sword called a verduguillo was used to deliver the final blow.

The crowd reportedly cheered for Fernandes to be awarded an ear, but the presiding judge refused. Fernandes instead received an ovation.

Bull had already jumped twice

According to the plaza’s official report, Malacara was the sixth and final bull of the afternoon at the mounted bullfight that brought the Murcia Bullfighting Fair to a close.

Officials said the animal had already jumped twice into the exit alley during the event.

Malacara originated from the Los Espartales ranch and had been assigned to Fernandes, a Portuguese rejoneador, or mounted bullfighter.

The incident was another reminder of the risks surrounding bullfighting events, where animals can unexpectedly break through barriers or change direction.

Similar incident injured four spectators in Colombia

The Murcia incident came just months after another bull broke into a crowd at a festival in Colombia.

In July, a bull seriously injured four spectators after jumping into the audience during a Corraleja event, a traditional festival in which members of the public enter the ring and attempt to tease the animal.

Footage from that incident showed the bull chasing people inside the ring shortly after being released before clearing a tall red barrier and charging into the crowd.

Cheers quickly turned into screams as spectators scrambled to escape.

One woman was struck and trampled as she tried to run around the stands, while a man grabbed the bull by its tail, giving others time to get away.

Amid the chaos, a matador was also seen calmly walking across the ring with a red cape in an apparent attempt to draw the bull’s attention.

The two incidents highlight how quickly a bullfight can turn from a controlled spectacle into a dangerous situation for both participants and spectators.