Some of the iconic moai statues on Chile's Easter Island have suffered "irreparable" damage caused by a wildfire that tore through parts of the island earlier in the week, local media reported Friday.
"About 60 hectares were affected, including some moai," according to a Twitter post by Carolina Perez, Chile's cultural heritage undersecretary.
She said officials from the country's National Monuments Council are "on the ground assessing the damage" from the fire and the Chilean government is offering support to the island's mayor, Pedro Edmunds.
Edmunds said 20 percent of the statues in Rano Raraku in the eastern part of the island had been damaged, according to local media reports.
Easter Island, known also as Rapa Nui, in the South Pacific attracts tourists from around the world for its moai statues. The island's Rapa Nui National Park was registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1995.
The isolated island reopened to visitors in August after restricting entry due to COVID-19.
Lamentamos este grave incendio en #RapaNui en el volcán Rano Raraku, con afectación al Sitio de Patrimonio Mundial. Hace solo dos días, el fuego arrasó más de 100 hectáreas en la isla. Ofrecemos todo nuestro apoyo al alcalde de @Muni_Rapanui, Pedro Edmuns Paoa. pic.twitter.com/PgVowJbSBA
— Carolina Pérez Dattari (@caroperezdattar) October 5, 2022
