Fire on Easter Island causes 'irreparable' damage to famous moai statues

A forest fire that has ripped through part of Easter Island is said to have caused damage that is 'irreparable'.

The devastating fire has charred some of the island's iconic craved stone figures, known as moai.

Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary has said at this stage it is currently unknown how many of the iconic stone figures have been damaged.

It has also been confirmed that the fire has damaged a quarry where the volcanic stone was extracted.

The fire broke on Easter Island on Monday (3 October), affecting nearly 148 acres of land, according to cultural heritage official Carolina Perez Dattari.

Dattari took to Twitter to share more on the fire, writing: "We regret this serious fire in #RapaNui at the Rano Raraku volcano, affecting the World Heritage Site.

"Just two days ago, the fire swept through more than 100 hectares on the island. We offer all our support to the mayor of @Muni_Rapanui, Pedro Edmuns Paoa.

"Officials from @monumentos_cl are on the ground assessing damage. Exterior firebreaks, carried out by organizations and the community, prevented the exterior side of the quarry from burning completely. About 60 hectares were affected, including some moai."

It has been reported the fire was started deliberately around the Unesco World Heritage Site.

Pedro Edmunds, Easter Island's Mayor, told local press: "The damage caused by the fire can't be undone."

The mayor went on to criticise the Chilean government: "There is no money to prevent fires on Easter Island in the more than 32 thousand archaeological sites. To prevent fire, we need to have guards permanently at the sites."

Ariki Tepano, director of the administration and maintenance of the park, added: "Irreparable and with consequences beyond what your eyes see, the moai are totally charred and you can see the effect of the fire upon them."

The island has 1,000 moai's, which are recognisable with their oversized heads and sitting 13ft high.

They are more than 500 years old and represent a key piece of culture on the island.

The figures were carved by the Indigenous Rapa Nui people sometime between the years of 1400 and 1650.

The devastating fire comes just two months after Easter Island was reopened to tourists, after a two-year hiatus as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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