A wildfire that hit Chile's Easter Island this week reportedly caused damage to an unknown number of Moai stone statues.

Chilean authorities and media say the fire burnt more than 100 hectares.

Although details remain unclear, a local authority says there is a chance the iconic statues suffered irreparable damage because heat from the fire may have caused the rocks to crack.

Footage taken on Thursday shows the statues shrouded in smoke.

The Moai were a major tourist attraction until the island closed its borders more than two and a half years ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. It reopened to tourists in August.

The statues embody the spirits of the ancestors of the original Easter Island inhabitants.

A resident on the island says the statues had already experienced damage from rain, wind and sun and that it was painful to see them suffer from wildfire as well.