Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

Newsflash/Rafael Rodriguez via @elpropiodemagangue

This is the moment dozens of locals break the coronavirus quarantine to gather at this tree trunk where they claim a figure of Jesus Christ on the cross has appeared.

The incident occurred when residents of the Jose Antonio Galan neighbourhood of the town of Magangue in the northern Colombian department of Bolivar left their homes to gather around a Ceiba tree.

They reportedly said a figure of Christ on the cross had appeared in the tree trunk and in the video recorded by journalist Rafael Rodriguez for the local media outlet El Propio de Magangue they can be seen taking photos of the tree.

Rodriguez said: “Dozens of people are gathered here. They are here to see the figure of what they say or believe is the figure of Christ, they have forgotten about coronavirus and are currently here looking at this figure”.

The video appears to show the apparent image of Christ high in the tree and local shopkeeper Agustina Diaz told reporters: “It can clearly be seen, and everybody is praying and asking for Earth to be cured of this evil and for Magangue to be protected”.

The local authorities are reportedly concerned about the tree becoming a pilgrimage site despite the coronavirus lockdown in the country.

Local journalist Rodolfo Zambrano said: “The figure appeared last Sunday night and people rushed there with candles and transformed the place into a pilgrimage site, which is concerning neighbours as a lot of people are going there.”

The local bishop has not commented on the case he remains at home during the quarantine and reports state the Mayor of Magangue, Carlos Cabrales, was told about the gathering ere and went to the scene with police to force people to return home.

According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University, Colombia has registered 1,579 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 46 deaths and 88 recoveries.

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