Lightning flashes over the statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of the Corcovado hill in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in January, 2014
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - A powerful electric storm swept through Rio de Janeiro in January, 2014, emitting more than 40,000 lightning strikes and leaving many neighbourhoods without power. The famous Christ the Redeemer statue on the tip of Corcovado Hill was also damaged: two fingers and its head were chipped during the storms.
Local officials believe the repair works that have begun today would take up to four months. Workers have alreadly carried out the first up-close examination of the 38-meter statue. Its right thumb was chipped during a violent storm last week, and its right middle finger and a spot on its head were damaged last month.
But the 100-ft tall statue, which is perched atop a mountain and offering spectacular views of Rio, will remain open to tourists.
The statue was inaugurated in 1931 and underwent a renovation in 2010. It is the largest stone-work of Jesus Christ ever built and stands more than 609 m above Rio on top of the Corcovado Hill. Named one of the seven new wonders of the world in 2007, the statue is made of 700 tonnes of reinforced concrete.
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