Singapore  - Singapore's iconic merlion statue, one of the island state's popular tourist attractions, was hit by a lightning bolt during a thunderstorm and slightly damaged, media reports said Sunday.

The statue, which has the body of a fish and a head of a lion, lost some parts at the top when lightning struck on Saturday, radio station 938Live reported. Nobody was hurt.

The 8.6-meter-tall merlion statue faces the Singapore River. It's fish body symbolizes Singapore's origin as a small fishing village. The lion head represents the city's founding by an Indonesian prince who claimed that he saw a lion when he first set foot on the island. (dpa)