Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer struck by lightning The iconic statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro has been damaged during a storm. Officials said Friday that the right thumb was chipped, apparently by a lightning strike Thursday night. The middle finger of the right hand had been chipped during a storm last month. The 125-foot Christ the Redeemer statue sits atop a steep mountain and is often hit by strikes. The statue underwent a $4 million renovation in 2010 to repair badly eroded parts of its face and hands. The Archdiocese of Rio manages the statue. Father Omar Raposo tells Globo Radio that repairs will soon be made. He says the church has a stock of the same stone originally used to build the statue, which was erected in 1931.