Rio's Christ Statue Chipped By Lightning

Storms are chipping away at the 125-foot statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. On Thursday night, lightning appears to have struck the statue's right thumb, officials say. Just last month, the middle finger on the same hand was also chipped, the AP reports. Fortunately, the Archdiocese of Rio has a stock of the stone used to build the statue, and the damage will be repaired, Father Omar Raposo says. Such strikes aren't rare, the Telegraph notes: They occur six times a year on average, weather officials say. (More Rio de Janeiro stories.)