KOLKATA, India — A massive 21-metre (70-foot) statue of football icon Lionel Messi in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata is to be dismantled after engineers discovered the structure was structurally unstable and swaying dangerously in the wind.
Emergency maintenance crews were deployed on Wednesday to scale the golden-colored monument, using heavy ropes to temporarily secure its shoulders and torso to prevent a catastrophic collapse onto a nearby major highway.
Okay News reports that the towering sculpture, which depicts the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami captain lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy, was unveiled to a massive crowd in December during Messi’s high-profile ‘GOAT Tour’ of India.
West Bengal state legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee told reporters that structural integrity inspections forced immediate intervention ahead of regional rain and thunderstorms. “The statue of the Argentine football legend in the city of Kolkata was found unsafe by engineers of the West Bengal government. We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind,” Mukherjee stated.
While municipal officials confirmed that the landmark will be completely taken down to protect passing motorists and pedestrian traffic, the ministry has yet to release a definitive timeline on whether the artwork will be reinforced for re-installation or permanently scrapped.
