Moai Statue on Easter Island Damaged by Forest Fire, Can't Be Repaired

Forest fires that have engulfed parts of Easter Island have scorched several monumental carved stone statues, known as moai statues , authorities said. The fire reportedly swept throug

The fire reportedly swept through Rapa Nui national park, 3,500 km (2,175 miles) off the west coast of Chile, and caused "irreparable" damage to the archaeological site.

"More than 100 hectares were affected in the Rano Raraku sector which includes the wetland and moai sectors," the national park said in a statement on its official Facebook page as reported by the Guardian on Friday (7/10/2022).

Carolina Perez, deputy minister of cultural heritage, said the island - which lies 3,500km off Chile's west coast - had been engulfed in flames since Monday (3/10/2022). 

Rapa Nui has more than 1,000 stone statues – a giant head believed to have been first carved in the 13th century by the island's natives. 

The area around Rano Raraku volcano, a Unesco world heritage site, was reportedly the most affected by this week's fires. 

It is estimated that several hundred moai reside in the area, as well as in the quarry where the stone used to carve the statues was extracted. Ariki Tepano, director of the Ma'u Henua community in charge of managing and maintaining the park, described the damage as "irreparable" to this archaeological treasure.

"The moai were completely charred and you could see the effect the fire had on them," he said.

Easter Island Mayor Pedro Edmunds Paoa, said he believed the fire was "not an accident," telling local broadcaster Radio Pauta that "all fires in Rapa Nui were caused by humans."