A mining town in Sweden is moving a wooden church building that was established 113 years ago.
According to multiple foreign media outlets, including the Associated Press, on the 19th (local time), work has begun to transfer the Kiruna Church building, which has a history of 113 years, to a new site in Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden.
The church will be transferred about 5 kilometers east along with other nearby buildings due to concerns about landslides and the risk of building collapse caused by ground subsidence from iron ore mining development.
Kiruna, with a population of about 23,000, is home to the world's largest iron ore mine. As of last month, 25 buildings have already been transferred, and 16 more, including the church, will be moved.
The Kiruna Church, built in the neo-Gothic style in 1912, was a major tourist attraction in the region until it was temporarily closed for this work. In 2001, it was also selected as the most beautiful building in Sweden.
The church measures approximately 40 meters in width, length, and height, and it weighs 672 tons. Special transport vehicles with 224 wheels have been prepared to move it, and the church is currently traveling at a speed of 500 meters per hour.
On this day, a crowd gathered to see the Kiruna Church before it finds its new home. Public broadcaster SVT is live-streaming the transfer process, which is scheduled to last two days.
Later that afternoon, King Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus of Sweden will visit, and a commemorative performance by the band KAJ will also be held. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, "It is a respect for our common cultural heritage and the mining industry that has made Korea prosperous and strong." The church will reopen at the end of next year.