The supporting slabs in the base could not handle the weight of the column and they snapped under immense pressure. Nearly all of the stones in the base were found damaged. Many had to be removed in pieces. All broken stones will have to be replaced before the monument is reconstructed. The small sections of stone are treated with equal care and attention.
Workers continue to remove damaged pieces in an effort to expose the central core.
One of the most prominent features of the monument, the state logo is lifted to the ground. As more pieces are removed from the base additional cracks are found in the supporting stones. . The dismantling project near an end as the last stone is lowered to the ground. Work was stopped as emergency funding ran out. Enough of the base was exposed to provide experts with access to the central core of the monument.