According to a report by the Associated Press on October 18th, a Catholic priest in Ecuador was accidentally killed by a fallen cross during a religious ceremony on the 17th.
The accident occurred at the Nuestra Señora Church in Guayaquil, a coastal city in southwestern Ecuador. The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed that the deceased was Father Patricio Sánchez of that church. Video footage showed that while he was leading a Mass and live-streaming it, a cross behind him suddenly fell off the wall and hit Sánchez on the head.
On the scene, the congregants immediately called for an ambulance. Emergency personnel arrived at the church quickly, but Sánchez still died.
Currently, the Ecuadorian government has not commented on this accident, and the exact reasons for the loosening and falling of the cross are unclear. The Archdiocese of Guayaquil expressed their condolences over Sanchez's death in a statement, but did not provide any additional information.
