Lightning Strike Destroys 6-Story Jesus Statue in the USA

A 60ft statue of Jesus, which was one of Ohio's most familiar landmarks, has burned to the ground after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.

Photo: Lightning Strike Destroys 6-Story Jesus Statue in the USA

Police said the "King of Kings" statue had stood since 2004 at the evangelical Solid Rock Church along Interstate 75 in Monroe, just north of Cincinnati, reports the Telegraph.

The 62ft tall 40ft wide sculpture showed Jesus from the torso up and was nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus" because its raised arms looked similar to a referee signalling a touchdown in a game of football, Oneindia reports.

The statue was not solid rock itself, however, but rather a mix of plastic foam and fibreglass over the steel frame. Thus the bolt from above quickly had it up in smoke. The damage has been estimated at $700,000, presumably giving some generous benefactor the opportunity to push a metaphorical camel through the eye of a needle.

The flameout has inevitably prompted wailing and gnashing of teeth as locals ponder why a bolt of electricity would choose to light on a six-storey high structure with a steel skeleton standing in a predominantly flat area, according to Register.