Swedish town moves historic 672-tonne wooden church to safer ground
Aug 20, 2025
Copenhagen [Denmark], August 20: A historic wooden church in northern Sweden is being moved 5 kilometres down the road as part of the relocation of the mining town of Kiruna, where underground iron ore extraction has made the ground unstable.
Thousands of onlookers gathered on Tuesday to watch the spectacle, Swedish news agency TT reported. Television footage showed the 672-tonne building rolling through the town on a specially constructed platform.
Kiruna, home to the world's largest underground iron ore mine and Sweden's northernmost town, began shifting its town centre several kilometres east years ago due to the growing risk of landslides and building collapses.
Besides the church, a third of the town's population - some 6,000 residents - is being relocated, alongside shops, schools, kindergartens and a hospital. The resettlement is due to be completed by 2035. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
