The cathedral of San Francisco de Iquique, from the 17th century, burned in flames despite the intervention of firefighters. It was declared a national historic monument since 1994.
vatican city
A fire has destroyed a 17th century church in Iquique, Chile.
On October 11, the Church of San Antonio de Padua, better known as San Francisco, in Iquique, Chile, was completely destroyed by a fire. According to eyewitnesses, a fire that broke out in the cathedral two days ago on Friday completely destroyed a very old Catholic building in Chile, which was built of wood. The cathedral, built in the 17th century to commemorate the Spanish conquest and the arrival of the first Franciscans to the province, was recognized as a National Historic Monument in 1994.
no victims
The flames, which had broken out the previous day under the statue of the saint, were initially controlled by firefighters, but broke out again 24 hours later, the causes of which are still unclear. The fire was controlled with the intervention of emergency services, saving the wooden building from being completely destroyed.
Authorities have launched their own investigation into the incident and a group of investigators are trying to find evidence about the initial cause of the fire. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
