Lightning strikes Rio de Janeiro Jesus statue
Iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was damaged in a storm on Thursday night
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The iconic statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro has been struck by lightning during a violent storm.
Officials confirmed on Friday the right thumb suffered damaged from the storm. Incredible pictures captured the moment lightning hit the 125 ft (38 metre) statue on Thursday evening.
The powerful lightning and rain storm swept across the city, flooding streets and knocking out power in some neighbourhoods.
The middle finger of the right hand had also been chipped during a storm last month. The statue sits atop a steep mountain and is often hit by strikes.
It underwent a $4 million (£243, 600) renovation in 2010 to repair badly eroded parts of its face and hands.
The statue is managed by the Archdiocese of Rio. Father Omar Raposo told Globo Radio repairs will soon be carried out.
He says the church has a stock of the same stone originally used to build the statue, which was erected in 1931.
The statue also suffered damage in April 2010 when the arms head and chest were covered in spray painted graffiti, in an act Rio's mayor described as a "crime against the nation." The perpetrators used the scaffolding erected during the renovation to scale the statue and vandalise it.
The vandals sprayed sentences such as "when the cat's away, the rats will play," as well as references to residents who were killed in recent and unsolved crimes.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments