Korean tourist bitten by monkey at Taj Mahal waits nearly an hour for ambulance

A Korean tourist bitten by a monkey at the Taj Mahal, a Unesco World Heritage site in India, reportedly waited nearly an hour for an ambulance. The incident has raised questions about the local emergency medical response.

The tourist was attacked by a monkey and bitten on the arm on Sunday while visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, according to local media on Thursday.

Videos circulating on social media showed the tourist bleeding from the arm while covering the wound with one hand and being guided by local residents to a nearby medical clinic.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which manages the site, requested an ambulance from local health authorities immediately after the incident. However, the ambulance reportedly did not arrive for about an hour, according to local media India Today. 

The tourist eventually received first aid at a local health center before taking an auto rickshaw, a three-wheeled taxi commonly used in India, to a nearby private hospital for further treatment.

Taj Mahal Senior Conservation Assistant Qalandar told India Today that he considered the delay a serious case of negligence, prepared an incident report and requested appropriate action from the health authorities.

The Korean Embassy in India said it did not receive a report of the incident on the day it occurred. The embassy said it later learned of the case through the victim's acquaintance after seeing local media reports.

The incident has also renewed concerns over inadequate wildlife management at the Taj Mahal.

Recent videos shared online have shown several monkeys roaming and playing around a pond in the Taj Mahal gardens, while local residents have continued to raise concerns over growing populations of monkeys and stray dogs around the site.

The ASI reportedly informed authorities in Agra about the increasing numbers of monkeys and stray dogs a month ago and requested measures, including capturing the animals. However, no meaningful action has been taken so far.

The Taj Mahal, one of India's best-known tourist attractions, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to one of their children. The Unesco World Heritage site attracts more than 800,000 foreign visitors each year.

BY HYEON YE-SEUL [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]