An Irish tourist smashed a statue in front of the iconic building in Brussels a day after it reopened to the public following a three-year, $150 million restoration.
The man was allegedly drunk and filmed trying to climb a statue of a lion, which also features a man with a torch, at the Brussels Stock Exchange in Belgium.
There are two statues located on either side of the entrance to the building and they have also been restored as part of the project.
As the tourist tried to get off, part of the statue, believed to be a torch, broke off.
An allegedly drunken tourist was filmed trying to ride a lion in Belgium when his surprise actions caused $29,000 worth of damage. Twitter
He was arrested by police at a nearby fast food restaurant and said he did not know the scale of the damage he had caused, according to local media.
Restoration of the statue is estimated to cost about $19,000 and the Brussels Stock Exchange plans to make tourists pay, local newspaper Nieuwsblad reported.
Nel Vandevennet, project manager for the restoration, said the building and statue are listed as heritage.
As the tourist tried to climb down, part of the statue, believed to be a torch, broke off.
“We want to do the repairs quickly, but it will definitely take weeks or months,” he told the VRT NWS news channel.
He continued: “The whole building has just been restored to its former glory, including the two lions which are in a bad state.
“We think the sculpture will get more respect. We just think it’s really sad this happened.”
The man was arrested by police at a nearby fast food restaurant and said he did not know the scale of the damage he had caused, according to reports.Twitter
The building was opened to the public on Saturday and the tourist video was shot on Sunday night.
The reopened building plans to become a public space for exhibitions, performances and other events.
There is a cafe and it is expected that a restaurant will eventually open as well.
It is also home to the World of Belgian Beer museum, but it is not known if the Irishman has visited.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
