Statue of Liberty toppled by strong winds in Brazil (VIDEO)

A large replica of the Statue of Liberty collapsed in southern Brazil on Monday after strong winds hit the region. Authorities and the company that owns the structure have stated that no injuries were reported.

The incident occurred in the city of Guaíba, near Porto Alegre, as severe weather swept across the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Wind gusts in the area reportedly exceeded 90 kilometers per hour, according to Brazil’s civil defense agency, which had issued emergency alerts warning residents to remain indoors.

The statue stood in the parking area of a Havan retail megastore. The company said in a statement that the 24-meter-tall statue was blown off its 11-meter-tall base. 

Havan said the installation carried the required Technical Responsibility Annotation (ART) and had been in place since the store opened in 2020. It added that a technical inspection will be conducted at the site to determine the causes of the incident and recommend further measures.

Read more

WATCH thieves pull off daring Louvre heist

Video footage shared on social media shows the statue slowly tilting before falling, as nearby drivers rushed to move their vehicles out of the way. 

Guaíba Mayor Marcelo Maranata has confirmed that no one was hurt, while praising the rapid response of store employees and emergency services, who secured the area shortly after the collapse.

Back in 2021, a similar incident took place at another Havan store in Capao da Canoa, which also had a Statue of Liberty replica in the parking lot. That structure was toppled during a cyclone with winds between 70 and 80 km/h. The incident resulted in no injures, only causing material damage. The statue was then put back in its place just 72 hours after falling.

As reported by local media, the replica statues weigh in at about 3.6 tons and are made of fiberglass.