Statue erected before Hockey World Cup collapses in Odisha's Rourkela

A 40-foot-high statue depicting an Indian hockey player erected in Rourkela city in Odisha's Sundargarh district ahead of this year's Men's Hockey World Cup collapsed due to a thunderstorm on Sunday, officials said.

The iron statue was installed near Rourkela Airport adjacent to Bisra Munda International Hockey Stadium in January ahead of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023.

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Both legs of the statue broke due to strong winds and it fell sideways, they said.

The statue was built by a Bhubaneswar-based firm at a cost of Rs 30.68 lakh.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had unveiled the statue ahead of the World Cup.

Rourkela Municipal Corporation Commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra said a committee has been formed to look into the reasons behind the collapse of the statue, which was erected barely five months ago.