18 October 2026 20:39 (UTC+04:00)
A Catholic priest has died after a wooden cross fell on him during a mass in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil on October 17, Chilean television channel T13 reported.
Patricio Alfredo Sánchez Molinari, the parish priest of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, was struck by a wooden cross mounted on the wall behind the altar.
The incident occurred while the service was being livestreamed on social media. Viewers watched as the cross suddenly came loose and fell on the priest at around the 27th minute of the broadcast. The service was immediately interrupted.
Witnesses called emergency services and attempted to help Sánchez Molinari, but he died from his injuries before medical personnel arrived.
The Archdiocese of Guayaquil confirmed the priest’s death in an official statement published on its Facebook page.
Investigators are working to establish the circumstances that led to the incident.
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