Rio de Janeiro, which has been getting lit up with lightning storms this week, just got hit with another one — and this one struck the city’s famous 38.1m tall Christ the Redeemer statue on top of the Corcovado mountain. A lightning bolt broke off a few fingers on his right hand.
According to the National Institute of Space Research (in Portuguese), more than 40,000 lightning flashes (!) hit the area during the three hour storm. And when you put a giant statue on top of a hill, well, that’s bound to attract some lightning bolts. On average, Christ the Redeemer usually gets struck with lightning 3-5 times per year. Here’s another angle:
Image credit: Getty, EFE