Watch: Tower falls as historic church destroyed by fire

Video shows the dramatic moment a historic church in Iquique, Chile, was destroyed by fire.

Twelve firefighting units attended the blaze at the San Francisco Church on Friday, but were unable to save the mostly-wooden structure, local media reported.

Regional officials said that there were no fatalities, and that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

The church is an officially recognised historic building, having been declared a national monument in 1994.

We previously said it was the first Catholic church built in the country. This is incorrect and the text has since been updated.