A shocking incident stunned Brazilians as a replica of the iconic Statue of Liberty fell apart on Monday, December 15. The iconic statue came crashing down during some extreme weather conditions, leaving many wondering about what led to its sudden collapse. Netizens took to social media, coming up with their own speculation about the landmark falling apart.
Statue of Liberty replica in Brazil crashes down in viral clip
A Brazilian replica of the historic Statue of Liberty came crashing down in Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, on December 15. The 24-meter-tall statue, located outside a Havan megastore, was knocked over during a severe storm. For those wondering how the statue met its destruction, here’s what exactly went down:
A viral X (formerly Twitter) clip by BNO News Live shows the statue slowly tilting forward. With powerful gusts moving at 90 km/h, it crashed into an empty parking lot not long after. While the statue’s upper structure succumbed to the winds, the 11-meter base remained standing. Miraculously, no one was hurt, thanks to quick action by store staff and timely evacuation of vehicles parked nearby.
Concerned by the unexpected collapse, Havan has launched an internal investigation. The motive is to determine why the structure, installed in 2020, failed under extreme weather conditions despite meeting technical standards and being certified by engineers.
This, however, isn’t the first time a Havan Statue of Liberty replica has fallen. A similar incident took place in 2021 in Capão da Canoa during a cyclone. With two replicas getting demolished by natural calamity within a span of five years, the Brazilian retail company is now being interrogated about the structural integrity of its iconic statues.
Moreover, the collapse has sparked mixed reactions online. Some users are joking about the symbolism of the iconic statue falling apart. Meanwhile, others are concerned about history repeating itself.
“Sums up the world at the moment”, one X user tweeted. “Right next to a McDonald’s adds to the American ethos to it all”, another joked. “Next time they should be original and not just replicate other countries specialities”, yet another comment read.
