Easter Island fire damages iconic statues

Last week, a fire engulfed Easter Island and caused irreparable damage to iconic Moai statues. The flames spread over an area of ​​100 hectares at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photos that have surfaced on social media show that several stone statues have been charred or have collapsed altogether.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. Easter Island Mayor Pedro Edmunds Paoa told Radio Pauta that he did not believe the fire was an accident, adding that it was human action that caused the Rapa Nui fire.

“The consequences of the fire are irreversible. The monument cannot be restored, no matter how much money is invested in it,” Paoa said.

The area at the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano suffered the most from the fire. There are more than 300 Moai stone sculptures in this area. The Chilean authorities are still assessing the damage and figuring out how many of the statues were damaged by fire.

Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is a volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean and one of the most remote inhabited places in the world. The Polynesians settled there around 300 AD. e. Chile annexed it in 1888. Stone statues-monoliths, located along the perimeter of the island, have long attracted a huge number of both travelers and explorers. It is stated that the statues were most likely created between 1100 and 1600 AD. They symbolize the ancient leaders who were believed to be descended from the gods and were endowed with supernatural powers to protect their community. In addition, a few years ago, researchers discovered that the statues also have bodies that are buried under rocks. In 2019, another theory was put forward, according to which the Polynesians deliberately erected statues in order to mark the sources of precious fresh water on the island.

According to official figures, there are more than 800 statues on the island, but their number can reach 1000.

The island’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and it will be closed to the public while authorities assess damage from the fire. Only three months ago, the island was reopened to tourists after a two-year shutdown due to the pandemic.

Although the damage done to the ancient statues cannot be repaired, local authorities hope to develop a plan to prevent future disasters. “In order to quickly prevent fires, we need constant protection at the sites,” Paoa said, applying for funding from UNESCO and the government of Chile. “It just takes resources to take care of the island.”

Author: Molly Enking.

Source – Smithsonian Magazine

Translation – Daniil Prilepsky, Moskovskaya Pravda.

Photo – screenshot from the Smithsonian Magazine website