Lionel Messi's 70ft statue in Kolkata to be removed after safety fears
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The 70ft monument, located in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, was unveiled in December during Messi's much-publicised GOAT Tour of India.
The golden-coloured structure depicts the Argentina captain lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy following his triumph in Qatar.
However, concerns over the statue's stability emerged this week after local residents reported visible movement during strong winds.
Engineers from the West Bengal Public Works Department (PWD) inspected the fibreglass-and-iron structure on Monday and concluded that its structural integrity had been severely compromised.
West Bengal legislator Sharadwat Mukherjee confirmed that authorities had ordered the statue's removal.
The statue of the Argentine football legend was found unsafe. We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind.
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Workers have since secured the towering sculpture with heavy-duty nylon ropes whilst barricades have been placed around the site to keep pedestrians and vehicles at a safe distance.
The monument stands close to a busy roadway and subway route, making the dismantling process more complicated than initially expected.
Removal has proved easier said than done. We are planning to remove the statue at the earliest opportunity.Officials are now reportedly considering alternative locations where the statue could potentially be rebuilt or reinstalled.
The massive installation was assembled over 27 days by a team of 45 workers and was one of the centrepieces of Messi's visit to India last year.
The Argentine superstar unveiled the statue virtually by appearing on a video screen and triggering the ceremony remotely.
Despite the excitement surrounding Messi's tour, parts of his visit to Kolkata were overshadowed by crowd trouble near Salt Lake Stadium.
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