Rio de Janeiro climbers clean site of Christ the Redeemer statue

Trash collectors rappel down Corcovado Mountain to remove garbage dumped on the slope of the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro (Bruna Prado/AP)

A Brazilian cleaning crew has been rappelling in the shadow of one of the world’s most famous sites – Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Wearing harnesses and using ropes tied to the balustrade around the statue’s lookout platform, they worked to remove the accumulation of garbage dumped on the mountain slope beneath as tourists looked on.