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.
The Rapa Nui National Park -- whose name comes from the Indigenous moniker for the island -- is a protected area displaying the legacy of the Rapa Nui culture. The composition of the statues can be adversely impacted from"exposure to high temperatures ... which could create big fractures that affect the Moai's integrity," according to the CNM.
Not long before the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on travel, Easter Island was grappling with a series of
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