STORY: A 113-year-old church in Kiruna, in northern Sweden, will embark on a two-day relocation starting on Tuesday (August 19) to a new site three kilometres away to make way for the expansion of the world's biggest underground iron ore mine.

On Sunday (August 17), the church was moved into place ahead of the move.

Ground subsidence caused by the expansion of the mine has forced much of the Swedish Arctic city to move.

Built in 1912, the traditional red-painted wooden church's relocation marks a key milestone in a three-decade project to shift Kiruna's city centre to a safer location.

The 40-meter-wide church will be transported on trucks after a year of preparatory work, including road widening. The relocation project has already seen several key structures, including the fire station and the home of city’s founder moved to the new site.

LKAB estimates that around 3,000 homes and 6,000 residents, along with multiple public and commercial buildings, will need to relocate. While some structures will be demolished and rebuilt, others, like the church, will be transported intact.

As part of the move, hundreds of new homes, shops and a city hall have been constructed, with the entire project slated for completion by 2035.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: TIMELAPSE OF CHURCH MOVED INTO PLACE AT ITS CURRENT SITE AHEAD OF ITS MOVE TO A NEW LOCATION

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: KIRUNA, SWEDEN (AUGUST 17, 2025)(REUTERS - Access all)(MUTE)

1. TIMELAPSE FILMED OVER TEN MINUTES OF CHURCH BEING MOVED INTO POSITION AHEAD OF ITS MOVE TO A NEW SITE