SINGAPORE'S iconic Merlion statue, a popular tourist attraction, was damaged by lightning on Saturday afternoon during a thunderstorm, according to reports.

No one was hurt.

The Merlion was struck by lightning between 4 and 5 pm local time, causing parts of the statue to fall near a group of startled visitors.

The 8.6 metre-tall Merlion has the head of a lion and the body and tail of a fish, and sits at the mouth of the Singapore River near the central business district.

The lion head symbolises Singapore's founding by an Indonesian prince who named his new settlement after a lion he saw when he landed on the island. The body of the fish represents Singapore's origins as a fishing village.

Singapore, or 'Singapura', is derived from the Sanskrit words Singa (or Lion) and Pura (City).

Singapore's police could not be reached for comment while a spokesman for Singapore's information ministry said she did not have any details about the incident. -- REUTERS