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| Easter Island: Sacred statues damaged by wild fire | Easter Island: Sacred statues damaged by wild fire |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mayor of Easter Island Pedro Edmunds told local media: "The damage caused by the fire can't be undone" | Mayor of Easter Island Pedro Edmunds told local media: "The damage caused by the fire can't be undone" |
| A wild fire has damaged the enigmatic statues on Easter Island, with some of the charring said to be irreparable. | A wild fire has damaged the enigmatic statues on Easter Island, with some of the charring said to be irreparable. |
| An unknown number of the stone-carved statues have been affected by the blaze, Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary said. | An unknown number of the stone-carved statues have been affected by the blaze, Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary said. |
| Easter Island has nearly 1,000 of the megaliths, known as moai. They have oversized heads and generally stand about 4m (13ft) high. | Easter Island has nearly 1,000 of the megaliths, known as moai. They have oversized heads and generally stand about 4m (13ft) high. |
| They were carved by a Polynesian tribe more than 500 years ago. | They were carved by a Polynesian tribe more than 500 years ago. |
| The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected "nearly 60 hectares (148 acres)", Carolina Perez Dattari, the cultural heritage official, tweeted. | The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected "nearly 60 hectares (148 acres)", Carolina Perez Dattari, the cultural heritage official, tweeted. |
| The area around the Rano Raraku volcano - which is an Unesco World Heritage Site - was the most badly affected. | The area around the Rano Raraku volcano - which is an Unesco World Heritage Site - was the most badly affected. |
| Easter Island lies 3,500km (2,174 miles) off the coast of Chile. It relies on tourism and reopened just three months ago following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic. The site has now been closed again while a conservation team examines the extent of the damage. | Easter Island lies 3,500km (2,174 miles) off the coast of Chile. It relies on tourism and reopened just three months ago following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic. The site has now been closed again while a conservation team examines the extent of the damage. |
| The island's mayor Pedro Edmunds told local media: "The damage caused by the fire can't be undone." | The island's mayor Pedro Edmunds told local media: "The damage caused by the fire can't be undone." |
| The director of the Ma'u Henua community which looks after the national park described it as "irreparable and with consequences beyond what your eyes can see". | |
| "The moai are totally charred," Ariki Tepano said through the park's official social media pages. | |
| The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected nearly 60 hectares (148 acres) | The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected nearly 60 hectares (148 acres) |
| The are some 1,000 giant stone statues and carvings on Easter Island- the largest of which weigh 74 tonnes and stand 10m tall. | The are some 1,000 giant stone statues and carvings on Easter Island- the largest of which weigh 74 tonnes and stand 10m tall. |
| The figures were carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people sometime between the years of 1400 and 1650, and positioned to form a ring around the island, facing inland. | The figures were carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people sometime between the years of 1400 and 1650, and positioned to form a ring around the island, facing inland. |
| Best known for their deep-set eyes and long ears, they also sport impressive multi-tonne hats made from a different rock type. | Best known for their deep-set eyes and long ears, they also sport impressive multi-tonne hats made from a different rock type. |
| They were figures of spiritual devotion for the Rapa Nui, embodying the spirit of a prominent ancestor. Each one was considered to be the person's living incarnation. | They were figures of spiritual devotion for the Rapa Nui, embodying the spirit of a prominent ancestor. Each one was considered to be the person's living incarnation. |
| One of the statues - known as the Hoa Hakananai'a - is housed in the British Museum, gifted by a British naval captain to Queen Victoria in the 1860s. | One of the statues - known as the Hoa Hakananai'a - is housed in the British Museum, gifted by a British naval captain to Queen Victoria in the 1860s. |
| The Chilean government and the island's authorities requested it be returned in 2018. | The Chilean government and the island's authorities requested it be returned in 2018. |
| But the island's mayor suggested he would prefer a financial commitment from the museum to ensure the upkeep of the remaining moai on the island. | But the island's mayor suggested he would prefer a financial commitment from the museum to ensure the upkeep of the remaining moai on the island. |