MOSCOW, October 7 – Novosti. The famous stone monolith statues, moai, have been damaged by a wildfire on Chile’s Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, the country’s National Council of Monuments (CMN) said.
It is specified that the fire in the Rano Raraku volcano sector of the Rapa Nui National Park destroyed almost 60 hectares. The fire started on October 4 and was brought under control only a day later. During this time, the flames managed to cover the area where many moai are located.
“It is not yet possible to give the exact number of victims (statues – ed.), as teams of specialists are still in the process of registration and diagnostics in order to estimate the exact number of moai and other objects affected by the fire,” the message says.
As indicated, the composition of the rock from which the moai are made is exposed to high temperatures. Thus, as a result of a fire, cracks could form in the statues, violating their integrity.
There are 386 moai in Rapa Nui, of which 265 are located outside the volcano and 121 are on the inner slopes of the crater.
Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean is considered the most remote inhabited island in the world: it is separated from the continental coast of Chile by 3514 kilometers, from Pitcairn Island, the nearest inhabited place – 2075 kilometers. It is famous for the moai – stone statues, placed throughout the island. Rapa Nui is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
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