Unfortunately, those are very bad news! The fire has burned more than 100 hectares of Easter Island (Rapa Nui), and damaged a lot of Moai statues! Those statues are damaged beyond repair, according to the officials. There are many images on social networks of the island, damaged by fire and smoke.
Rapa Nui Mayor Pedro Edmunds Paoa said that the high temperature of the forest fire accelerated the process that turns the stone statues into sand and cause faster decomposition. The damage is ,,irreparable and immeasurable”, he said. He also stated that the fire was not an accident and that all the fires on Rapa Nui are caused by humans. He blamed the locals who raise cows and horses on the island and regularly burn lawns.
Easter Island and its Moais are one of the main (if not the main itself) symbols of the South Pacific.
Here is youtube video with detailed information about this unfortunate event and more images, and Rapa Nui Mayor speaking about this:
