• Irish tourist damages historic Brussels statue.
• Attempted to ride lion statue, causing $19,000 in damage.
• Authorities seek compensation for heritage-listed statue.

An Irish tourist in Belgium found himself in hot water after causing substantial damage to a recently restored statue in Brussels, estimated to be worth $19,000 (Rs 15.83 lakh). The incident occurred when the reportedly intoxicated tourist attempted to ride a lion statue at the Brussels Stock Exchange, which had just undergone restoration as part of a $150 million renovation project. In the process, he inadvertently broke off a portion of the statue, believed to be the torch held by a man depicted alongside the lion.

The damaged statue, known as The Bourse, suffered this setback just one day after its grand reopening. Authorities swiftly arrested the tourist at a nearby fast-food restaurant. He claimed to be unaware of the extent of the damage he had caused.

Take a look at the post below:

An Irishman climbed the statue in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange, which was reopened yesterday after 3 years of renovation, and broke its arm #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/Ne5yu5fFaU

— 𝕬𝖐ı𝖓𝖈ı (@soneerbozkurt) September 15, 2023

The Brussels Stock Exchange building and its statues are heritage-listed, adding to the gravity of the situation. Local authorities are now seeking compensation from the Irish tourist for the damage inflicted on the historic statue.

He told the local media, “We would like to carry out the repairs quickly, but it will surely take a few weeks or even months,” He continued: “The whole building has only just been restored to its former glory, including the two lions, which were in a bad way.

“We thought the sculptures would enjoy greater respect. We just think it’s very sad this happened.”

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