Sacred Easter Island statues suffer 'irreparable damage' after volcano fire
CNN
Easter Island's towering stone heads and other archaeological elements have been charred by a fire, according to local Indigenous and Chilean authorities.
(CNN) — Easter Island's towering stone heads and other archaeological elements have been charred by a fire, according to local Indigenous and Chilean authorities.
The fire -- caused by the nearby Rano Raraku volcano -- started Monday and razed more than 100 hectares of the island, damaging its famous stone-carved statues known as 'Moai' which were created by a Polynesian tribe over 500 years ago, native officials reported.
Ariki Tepano, who serves as the director of the indigenous Ma'u Henua community which manages the Rapa Nui Natural Park, described the damage as "irreparable" and warned that the "consequences go beyond what the eyes can see," in a statement Thursday.
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