The man was arrested and asked to cover the repair costs.
An Irish tourist in Belgium was arrested after causing significant damage to a recently restored statue in Brussels. The damage is estimated at $19,000 (Rs 15.83 lakh).
According to the New York Post, the tourist, reportedly drunk, was filmed trying to ride into a lion statue at the Brussels Stock Exchange in Belgium. The statue, which also shows a man carrying a torch, is one of two recently restored as part of a $150 million renovation project. As the tourist tried to climb down, he broke off part of the statue, probably the torch.
Watch the video here:
An Irishman climbed the statue in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange, which reopened yesterday after three years of renovation, and broke his arm #Breaking newspic.twitter.com/Ne5yu5fFaU
— 𝕬𝖐ı𝖓𝖈ı (@soneerbozkurt) September 15, 2023
The statue, known as The Exchange, suffered this damage just one day after reopening.
According to local media, police arrested the tourist at a nearby fast food restaurant. The tourist claimed he was unaware of the extent of the damage he had caused.
Nel Vandevennet, project manager for the restoration, said the building and statues of the Brussels Stock Exchange are listed as a monument.
“We would like to make the repairs quickly, but it will certainly take a few weeks or even months,” he told the news channel VRT NWS.
He continued: “The whole building has only just been restored to its former glory, including the two lions, which were in a bad condition.
“We thought the sculptures would be more respected. We just think it’s very sad that this happened.”
According to NewspaperThe authority is reportedly seeking damages from the Irish tourist for the damage he caused to the statue.
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