A historic church in the Chilean city of Iquique was engulfed by devastating fire on Friday afternoon, October 11, 2024.
As per the firefighters, the fire broke out at the centuries-old San Francisco Church which was located on Almirante Latorre Street and 21 de Mayo Street in Iquique on Chile’s northern coast.
In a video shared by Sky News, the church can be seen burning down to ashes as smoke billowed in the city while the firefighters tried to extinguish the flames.
According to the local media, authorities in Tarapaca reported no casualties and are investigating the cause of the fire. It was also reported that despite twelve firefighters working in units at the site to tackle the blaze, the church was completely destroyed.
To note, the San Francisco Church, which was designated a national monument by the government of Chile in October 1994, was primarily constructed of wood, which made it more prone and easier to catch the fire.
