The flames, which started on Tuesday, have burned about a hundred hectares
A fire reportedly started by deliberately burning a pasture has destroyed dozens of historic Easter Island statues known as moais as firefighters were unable to contain the flames in time due to lack of troops. authorities in a statement.
The flames, which started Tuesday, have destroyed about 100 hectares and charred the statues around the volcano Rano Raraku, one of the most important on the island, and the quarry in which the historical pieces were made.
The fire progressed uncontrollably for hours due to the “inability to bring it under control due to lack of (personnel) of the brigade,” Easter Island Fire Department deputy commander Marcos Añigual said in statements collected by Chilean ‘Third’ newspaper. It took firefighters all day Tuesday to contain the flames.
The damage to the statues was confirmed in the following days by the Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage of the Chilean Ministry of Culture, Art and Heritage, Carolina Pérez Dattari.
“External firebreaks, created by organizations and the community, prevented the exterior of the quarry from completely burning down,” Dattari explains on his Twitter account.
Initial assessments have complained of the serious damage suffered by many of the affected statues. “It’s irreparable,” Easter Island mayor Pedro Edmunds told a local media outlet, a view that coincided with the island’s provincial presidential delegate Juliette Hotus.
“What we are witnessing in Rano Raraku is an unprecedented tragedy for our material and natural heritage,” he lamented, in statements collected by ‘El Mercurio’.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
