A devastating bushfire on Easter Island, known for its colossal stone figures, has left several of the world-famous statues charred and damaged. As has only just been announced, the fire that has been raging through Rapa Nui National Park since Monday has caused “irreparable” damage to the archaeological site.
The area around Rano Raraku volcano is said to have been hardest hit by the flames, which raged over an area of some 100 hectares. Rapa Nui National Park is home to about 1,000 stone statues sculpted by the island’s indigenous people between 1400 and 1650. The Moai statues represent human figures with large heads.
Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Easter Island, about 3,500 kilometers west of the Chilean coast, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Its name would come from the fact that European navigators first mentioned it at Easter 1722. Chile incorporated the distant island into its national territory in 1888.
Easter Island, which locals call Rapa Nui, was only reopened to tourism in early August after a two-year corona ban. Before the start of the Covid pandemic, it had about 160,000 visitors a year.
Source: Krone
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.
