RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) 鈥 A Brazilian cleaning crew on Thursday was rappelling in the shadow of one of the world鈥檚 most famous sites: Rio de Janeiro鈥檚 Christ the Redeemer statue.
Wearing harnesses and using ropes tied to the balustrade around the statue鈥檚 lookout platform, they worked to remove the accumulation of garbage dumped on the mountain slope beneath as tourists looked on.
Employed by the municipal waste management company, they are also certified mountain climbers often deployed to clean the city鈥檚 famous hillsides, including those settled by working-class communities.
They collect not just plastic bottles and other garbage, but also flammable materials that increase the risk of .
Their work is 鈥渋mportant because it preserves nature, prevents fires, clears the litter that accumulates here, and reduces visual pollution, as we get a lot of tourists,鈥 said Paulo Maur铆cio, an engineer overseeing the clean-up around the Christ statue.
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