A statue of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year at a fort in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, collapsed on Monday (August 26), an official said. The 35-foot-tall statue collapsed at the Rajkot fort in Malvan around 1 pm, he said.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known and experts are investigating the exact cause, but the district has experienced heavy rains and gusty winds over the past two to three days, the official added.

Senior police and district administration officials have been on site to assess the situation and are currently assessing the damage, he said.

Prime Minister Modi unveiled the statue on December 4 last year on the occasion of Navy Day. He also attended the celebrations at the fort.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the event last year.

The seal of the founder of the Maratha Empire served as the inspiration for the new naval flag, which was introduced when Prime Minister Modi commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

(With PTI inputs)

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