A nearly 40-metre-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty tumbled after a severe storm smashed the Brazilian city of Guaiba on Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported, according to local authorities and the company that owned the structure.
Intense winds hit the statue, installed in the car park of a Havan retail megastore near a fast-food outlet, as a line of storms moved across southern Brazil. Footage showed the tall bust leaning under the force of the wind before it fell and broke apart. The head of the statue was crushed to pieces upon impact.
Video footage shows a forty-meter-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty, located across from a McDonald’s within the parking lot of a Havan in the Brazilian city of Guaíba, one of several dozen replicas of the statue located throughout the country, collapsing during a wind and… pic.twitter.com/kUid9lwA3b
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The replica measured around 114 feet in height and was one of several similar structures placed outside Havan stores across Brazil. Company officials stated that only the upper section, measuring approximately 24 metres (78 feet), was affected by the collapse, while the 11-metre (36-foot) pedestal remained intact, according to local reports.
Havan confirmed in a statement that the statue had been in place since the store opened in 2020 and that it had the required technical certification. The company said the area was immediately cordoned off to protect customers and staff, and specialist teams were sent in to remove debris within hours.
The mayor of Guaiba, Marcelo Maranata, said there were no casualties and praised the quick response at the site. He added that local teams worked alongside state Civil Defence officials to secure the perimeter and check for any additional damage nearby.
The incident occurred at around 3 pm, at the height of the storm.
Weather authorities recorded wind gusts exceeding 90 kmph in the region. The state Civil Defence earlier issued a severe weather warning for the metropolitan area, alerting residents to the risk of strong winds and heavy rain through emergency messages sent directly to mobile phones.
The supermarket continued operating in unaffected areas, though access to the section surrounding the fallen statue remained restricted. A technical inspection will be carried out to determine the exact cause of the collapse and to assess whether any other factors, beyond extreme weather, played a role, Havan said.
The storm in Guaiba also affected much of Rio Grande do Sul. Other areas reported hail, damaged roofs, fallen trees and temporary power outages. Some streets were also partially flooded due to heavy rain. The National Institute of Meteorology kept storm warnings in place, with wind gusts of up to 100 kmph. Meteorologists said a cold front caused strong and sudden winds. Weather conditions are expected to improve from Tuesday, although some rain may continue.
