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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

India to move Messi's 70-foot statue over safety concerns

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A 70-foot statue of Lionel Messi in Kolkata, India, is being dismantled due to safety concerns.
  • Engineers found the structure unsafe, noting it swayed in strong winds.
  • Authorities are planning to relocate the statue after ensuring its structural integrity.

A towering 70-foot statue of football superstar Lionel Messi in Kolkata, India, is slated for removal after engineers identified significant safety concerns. The monument, erected in December during Messi's "GOAT tour" of India, has been found to be swaying in strong winds, prompting authorities to deem it unsafe.

West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee confirmed that Public Works Department engineers inspected the installation and reported structural issues. "The statue of the Argentine football legend was found unsafe. We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind," Mukherjee stated, as reported by BBC Sport.

The statue of the Argentine football legend was found unsafe. We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.

— Sharadwat MukherjeeWest Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee confirmed engineers' findings about the statue's instability.

The statue's location near a busy road and a subway system complicates the removal process. "It is easier said than done," Mukherjee added, as authorities work on a plan to dismantle and relocate the fiberglass-and-iron structure. The area around the statue has been temporarily stabilized with ropes and barricaded to ensure public safety while a new, structurally sound site is identified for its potential reinstallation.

It is easier said than done

— Sharadwat MukherjeeMukherjee commented on the complexities involved in dismantling and relocating the large statue.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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