A 70-foot statue of Argentine football star Lionel Messi has been removed from Kolkata citing safety concerns.
The statue, located in the Lake Town area, reportedly swayed during strong winds on May 25. Following this, local residents lodged a complaint with the police.
Engineers were called in to inspect the structure and found it lacked adequate stability and was unsafe. As an interim measure, the statue was secured with ropes.
On Sunday, the West Bengal government carried out the removal operation and shifted the statue to another location. A heavy crane was used to take it down safely.
Messi had inaugurated the statue during his visit to Kolkata in December last year, according to the report.
