Work begins to repair Brazil's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue after lightning damage

A worker inspects Christ the Redeemer statue Credit: Reuters

Work has begun to repair Brazil's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue after its head and right hand were damaged during lightning strikes.

The statue was hit on Friday when a powerful electric storm swept through the city causing more than 40,000 lightning strikes throughout Rio de Janeiro.

The following day, damage could be seen on the thumb of the figure's right hand, which had already showed damage to the right index finger, the previous month.

However, the statue's keepers did not initially realise the statue's head also sustained damage near the hairline.

Christ the Redeemer statue is 125 feet (38m) tall Credit: REUTERS/Severino Silva/Agencia O Dia

On Tuesday, the engineer in charge of the project said they are planning to add to existing lightning rods on the structure to prevent future damage in storms.

The monument stands 125 feet (38 metres) high and looks down at the city from its home on top of Corcovado mountain.

This video includes footage from a helmet camera worn by one of the workers: