Christians have claimed the figure of Virgin Mary recently appeared on the Argentinian skyline as a sign the people are under her holy protection during the raging coronavirus epidemic.
The moment three shafts of blue and white light popped up on the horizon was captured on camera in the early evening hours on Wednesday, in San Carlos, in the province of Corrientes, northeastern Argentina.
“In the sky a rainbow started to be seen, and then some drops started to create the figure (of the Virgin) in the sky surrounding the Sun,” wrote an unnamed netizen whose daughter captured the moment on camera. Local media outlets have also begun speculating on the now viral pictures, reporting that for some residents the figure seen in the sky was reminiscent of the Virgin of Itati, the patron saint of the province.
“Thanks Mother for protecting us, for interceding for God, and for your mercy for the people”, another person was cited by the Daily Star as commenting on the phenomenal sighting. The figure was also reportedly seen in the immediate neighbourhood - the town of Candelaria, also in San Carlos, considered to be one of the oldest Jesuit towns in the province.
“There are a lot of stories… I do know we are very sensitive, aren’t we asking for a bit of hope?” Nancy Cervantes Saez was cited as saying.
The sighting of the peculiarly shaped light flashes comes as the coronavirus pandemic rages across South America, with Argentina imposing a nationwide quarantine from 19 March until 31 March.
Statistics from worldometers.info put the overall number of confirmed coronavirus cases across the world at 601,520. In Argentina 601 have been infected to date, showing a rise of 101 in the past 24 hours.
Italy continues to be a hotspot of the pandemic, as the coronavirus plague has been declared by the WHO, with the death toll there (over 9,100 people) the highest in the world. The pandemic has caused lockdowns and national emergencies to be declared in most countries worldwide.