Priest killed as giant cross falls during live-streamed Mass in Ecuador

A priest was killed during Mass at a church in Ecuador after a large cross mounted on the wall behind the altar fell and struck him on the head.

According to AP and Argentine daily Clarin, the accident occurred Sunday afternoon at the Perpetuo Socorro parish in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

Father Patricio Sanchez, the parish's head priest, was leading the service when the large cross fixed to the wall above the altar came loose and landed on his head.

Sanchez had regularly streamed Mass live on Facebook and was broadcasting at the time of the accident. The moment the cross fell, screams and cries for help from the congregation were captured on the live stream.

News of the priest's death prompted an outpouring of tributes on social media from parishioners and followers.

The Archdiocese of Guayaquil officially confirmed Sanchez's death in a statement, extending its deepest condolences to his family and to the Redemptorist order to which he belonged.

The accident has drawn attention to the installation and structural safety of the cross. Authorities plan to investigate the cause of the structure's fall and whether there were any defects in its supports.