In Brazil, storm winds topple 24-metre-high Statue of Liberty
In the Brazilian city of Guaiba in the Porto Alegre metropolitan area, strong winds toppled a large decorative statue outside a Havan store. The incident occurred on 15 December during a powerful storm, when the region was on red alert due to bad weather.
According to the Civil Protection, wind gusts during the storm reached 90 kilometres per hour. Under their influence, a 24-metre metal structure, a copy of the US Statue of Liberty, fell down. The moment of the fall was recorded by CCTV cameras and eyewitnesses, and the video quickly spread on social media.
Havan reported that no one was injured in the incident, as the car park was almost empty at the time of the accident. After the statue fell, the area was immediately fenced off and access to it was restricted in accordance with security protocols.
Havan also noted that work on dismantling and removing the structure will begin soon. The reasons for the fall are officially attributed solely to extreme weather conditions.
