The roof of the most important Aztec temple in Mexico City partially collapsed overnight from Wednesday to Thursday due to a severe hailstorm, according to site officials.
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This storm occurred the day after the reopening of this archaeological area after a prolonged closure due to a pandemic.
The roof, a recent structure, had been installed to protect the ancient ruins below. The damage suffered on Wednesday by this temple called “Templo Mayor”, in the historic district of the capital, was however qualified as minor.
“Despite the spectacular nature of the accident, the damage to the archaeological heritage is not significant,” said Leonardo Lopez Lujan, director of the “Templo Mayor” project.
According to the Secretary of Culture, “the damage is minor, repairable and restorable by experts who will take care of it”.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said during his daily press conference that “work has already started to check the damage … Another roof will undoubtedly be installed”.
Images circulating on social media showed soldiers guarding the area marked off with long ribbons, where the roof, as well as part of the site’s fence, was damaged.
Built and rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries, the “Templo Mayor” was the sacred heart of the Aztec capital and was considered the site of many human sacrifices.
The vast religious edifice was destroyed when the Spanish conquistadors razed Tenochtitlan in 1521 and rebuilt a colonial town on top of it.
Archaeologists first discovered the temple in 1914, but the ruins were not methodically excavated until the 1970s.
The historic center of Mexico City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.