He 19th of September from 1985 a earthquake magnitude 8.1 turned the then Federal District into ruins In a matter of minutes, government intervention was completely overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. However, the civilian population did not sit idly by and acted, including the so-called “Topos”, who risked their lives to save others.
The government of the PRI member Miguel de la Madrid not only was it seen Overcome by the disaster and by the population itself, Later they gave The death toll from the earthquake did not match the scale of the destruction in the capital and other states of the Republic.
At the time, it was criticized that the then president of Mexico did not know how to properly assist the population and that he only went out to visit certain congested areas of the city to “take a photo.” Years later, in an interview with the journalist Jacob Zabludovsky He acknowledged that there were errors in the management of the disaster and that action could have been taken more effectively.
How did the Topos emerge in Mexico?
After the debacle caused by the magnitude earthquake that occurred epicenter In the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Balsas River, on the coast of the state of Michoacán, civil society took to the streets to help in the many affected areas of the city.
This is how a group of volunteers named Topos emerged, which originated because these civilian rescuers entered collapsed buildings to try to rescue people trapped by the earthquake.
Although their emergence was forced by the situation and spontaneous, they worked in a coordinated manner in search and rescue actions for victims. It is worth mentioning that the state’s disarray was such that emergency services such as firefighters, rescuers and police acted on their own and collaborated with the “Topos” in rescue work.
One of the most affected places in the city was Tlatelolco, a residential area where the enormous Nuevo León Building collapsed and where the Topos offered their voluntary help.
After the earthquake, andThe government only acknowledged the deaths of between six and seven thousand people.a questionable figure, since the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) counted up to 26 thousand. On the other hand, the organizations of victims estimated up to 35 thousand deadHowever, it is still not known exactly how many people died on that date.
On the other hand, in February 1986 the Topos Tlaltelolco Rescue Brigade AC was legally established, which currently continues to help wherever its help is needed, even outside of Mexico.
Los Topos are certified by the Government of Mexico City and have helped in various countries such as Indonesia, Türkiye, Haiti, among many others.
It is worth mentioning that this is a non-profit civil association made up of volunteers who provide rescue, support and assistance services to anyone who is in a vulnerable situation.
The Topos are known internationally; they collaborate with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations System (OCHA), and are also part of the International Rescue and Assistance League (RIAL).
Finally, in 2010, the Topos received the Medal of Merit from the Citizen Participation Commission of the Chamber of Deputies for their work in Haiti.