Singapore - Singapore's iconic merlion statue, one of the island state's most popular tourist spots, will re-open in two weeks, following some repair work after the attraction was damaged by a lightning bolt on February 28, the Singapore Tourism Board said Monday.

The 8.6-meter-tall statue, which has the body of a fish and a head of a lion, lost some parts at the top when lightning struck during a thunderstorm.

Repair work is targeted for completion by March 21, the board said in a statement.

After the incident, the statue had been caged with some scaffolding.

The board said it is now studying possible lightning protection measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring, although it has no records of lightning damaging the merlion since its inauguration in September 1972.

Designed and built as a sculpture, the merlion did not include a lightning conductor.

The merlion faces the Singapore River. It's fish body symbolizes Singapore's origin as a 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)