The prominent statue of Christ overlooking Rio de Janeiro was struck by lightning during a ferocious storm in Brazil last week.

Officials confirmed the right thumb of the statue, which is made of soap stone, suffered damaged from the storm. The 98-ft statue was struck on Thursday evening with tens of thousands of lightning flashes recorded. 

Photographers captured Christ the Redeemer in the night sky scenery with thunderbolts on every side of the momentous

This is the second time that the statue has been damaged by the forces of nature in the past few months.

The three-hour lightning and rainstorm came down on the city, flooded the streets, knocked over dozens of trees, and caused power outages in some neighborhoods. According to administrators of Corcovado, no one was injured, as there were no tourists around during the storm.

Christ the Redeemer, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, sits atop steep Mount Corcovado and is often hit by strikes. 

The Archdiocese of Rio manages the statue. Father Omar Raposo, who oversee's the statue, told Globo Radio, repairs would soon be carried out. The minister said the church has a supply of the same stone originally used to build the statue.

In 2010 the iconic statue underwent a $4 million renovation to repair badly worn parts of its face and hands. It also suffered damage in April 2010 when it was covered in spray painted graffiti in an act of vandalism.

The 635 ton statue was erected in 1931 and was named in a 2007 global poll as one of seven new wonders of the world.

Click here to see the incredible pictures captured the moment lightning hit.