Lázaro Salvador Moreno Rivero, General Secretary of the 5th Section of the National Union of Cultural Workers, denounced that there are no emergency services available in Teotihuacán, which is the second most visited archeological attraction of the world, just after Egypt, with over 2 million visitors per year: “There is no ambulance or paramedics, nor a medical office that could provide medical attention as required by visitors”.
The union leader stated that the site workers rely on the support offered by the local authorities of Teotihuacán and San Martín de las Pirámides, as well as of the Mexican Red Cross and the Social Security Institute of the State of Mexico (ISSEMYM) for any medical or emergency service required.
Moreno Rivero added that there is no first aid kit available and that the personnel has not yet received any Civil protection or First Aid training so as to provide the necessary support when required.
Alejandro Sarabia, director of the archeological zone, stated that there are no medical services available at the site because these are “coordinated at all times” with the Civil Protection services of Teotihuacán and San Martín de las Pirámides, “which are just five minutes away”.
He added that on Thursday, when 74-year-old German tourist, Seiler Eckhard, died as he fell from the Sun Pyramid, Civil Protection services responded to the emergency in seven minutes: “We are always in touch with them, as well as with the Red Cross, but it is usually more with the local Civil Protection services”.
Sarabia assured that there is always personnel reporting what is going on in the site on a “timely basis” and that there is always an “immediate” response from the local Civil Protection Services.