In a stunning incident, lightning struck the 100-foot-tall monument of Jesus Christ over Rio de Janeiro. The breathtaking sight was caught during a flash storm that rocked the Brazilian coast on Friday. The bolt of lightning struck the statue's head, transforming it into a divine figure.
Fernando Braga photographed the breathtaking view and posted it on Instagram. "DIVINE LIGHTNING !!! IT'S FRIDAY!!! Recordings taken on February 10, 2023 at 6:55 PM (Christ) and 19:03 PM (Antenna) using NIKON D800 with 70-200mm f/2.8E at 70mm f/8 13" ISO 100," Braga wrote in the caption of the post.
The incredible images have gone popular on social media. They have received huge likes and comments on Instagram and Twitter.
"At this point Zeus or Thor. Jokes apart, this is a quite recurrent event, being the highest point, it's just the luck of having someone doing photography at the right time,"a user wrote. Another said, "Wow! Oh just WOW!"
A third user commented, "What a shot! Thanks for sharing." A fourth jokingly added, "Mom! Thor and Jesus are at it again!"
Some also suspected the legitimacy of the shot and claimed, “These days with 4K video at 60fps or more, it’s not actually that hard to capture lighting. Just video the storm and then extract the exact frame you want. Still cool photo though. I’d like one of the Statue of Liberty too lol."
Notably, the Christ the Redeemer monument, which is the biggest representation of Jesus in the entire world, is located atop Corcovado Hill, more than 2,000 feet above Rio. The statue weighs 700 tonnes of reinforced concrete and was recognised as one of the seven new wonders of the world in 2007.
Lightning has also struck the sculpture in the past. According to the BBC, a bolt of lightning struck the famed figure's thumb in 2014, causing it to undergo restoration work.