By Sammy Jones-
A replica of the Statue of Liberty in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, has fallen amid severe weather.
The statue portion of the replica appeared to bend against the wind and ultimately fall from its pedestal
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
The fall is said to have been caused by intense weather caused injuries and property damage in the area. The massive replica of the iconic statue, which stood above a parking lot at Brazilian retailer Havan in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul state, fell from its pedestal on Monday.
Footage from the incident showed the 114-foot statue portion of the replica began to bend against the wind, while the pedestal remained intact. The statue appeared to tip forward, slowly, before tumbling to the ground. The statue’s torch, raised arm and crowned head crashed into the parking lot below and crumbled upon impact. Cars in the parking lot below swiftly moved out of the way.
No injuries were reported, according to StringersHub. Following the statue’s collapse, emergency services cordoned off the area, and the subsequent debris was cleared hours later.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
“Since the first moment, we’ve been on the streets following the situation closely,” Mayor Maranata wrote in a post on Facebook, which has been translated. “The Civil Defense and the Secretary of Infrastructure are fully mobilized, attending to events and ensuring the safety of the population.”
State authorities said that other weather-related incidents have caused injuries and property damage across the area, Newsweek reported. A heavy rain warning remains in place until Wednesday, Dec. 17, with a risk of power outages, falling tree branches, flooding and lightning strikes, according to Brazil’s national weather service, INMET.
Footage of the fall has featured on multiple social media platforms.
In a clip of the incident shared by Accuweather, commenters remarked on the symbolism of a Statue of Liberty replica falling face-first.
“Mother nature not feeling the US lately ,” one person wrote.
Another added, “Basically the state of our country right now.”
Others viewed the fall to be symbolic in nature.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar