Lightning Rips Thumb tip off Rios Christ the Redeemer Statue. The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janerio in Brazil has been struck by lightning. Officials said lightning has apparently broken the tip of the statues right thumb, Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported. The 125-ft tall statue that stands atop the Corcovado Mountain also had its right hand third finger damaged in the lightning strike that occurred following a storm in the wee hours of Friday. According to the Atmospheric Electricity Group and the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Rio witnessed as many as 1,109 lightning rays on the stormy night, about half the number of record lightning rays of 2,149 that streaked across the city in March last year. Inscribed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Christ the Redeemer was constructed between 1922 and 1931. It is made of soapstone and concrete. The statue, which is a huge tourist attraction in Brazil, has been exposed to increased lightning activities in recent years. Officials blame it on urbanisation. As the city becomes more urbanized, it creates an island of the heat, because the vegetation is replaced by asphalt and homes. The increase in the number of cars is also a factor, because it generates more pollution, which contributes to the formation of lightning, officials told the newspaper. Every year, on average, the statue is hit by three to five lightning rays, according to the NIPE. The same finger of the statue had been struck by another beam in the past as well. In a 2008 strike, the statues head was severely damaged and led to replacement of some of the outer soapstone layers. In 2010, the eroded parts of the statues face and hands underwent a $4m (£2m) renovation. The recent damage restoration will cost approximately $1.8m.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 09:54:56 +0000
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