Photos: Running of the Bulls Festival

Thousands of revelers doused each other with wine Monday to celebrate the start of the famed San Fermin running of the bulls festival in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona. The festival started with the traditional launching of a fireworks rocket — known as the "Chupinazo"— from the town hall balcony. The Chupinazo takes place a day before the first of eight 8 a.m. bull runs. Thousands of people race ahead of six bulls along a 930-yard course to the city's bull ring. The bulls are then killed by professional matadors in bullfights each afternoon. Two men have died being gored by bulls in Spanish festivals in recent weeks — one Saturday in the eastern town of Grao de Castellon and another June 24 in the southwestern town of Coria. In all, 15 people have died from gorings in San Fermin since record-keeping began in 1924.

— The Associated Press