Two people have been arrested for allegedly opening a giant hole in the Great Wall of China with an excavator, likely causing “irreversible” damage, only to be able to walk through it while working there.
The damage was found late last month in a section known as the 32nd Great Wall, one of the only surviving sections dating back to the Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644, according to state media reports.
Authorities believe heavy machinery was used to breach the UNESCO World Heritage site, damaging it beyond repair, China Daily said.
The investigation led to the arrest of two suspects, a 38-year-old man surnamed Zheng and a 55-year-old woman surnamed Wang, the Shanxi Cultural Relics Bureau said on Monday.
They were said to be construction workers who had widened a gap in the wall to create a shortcut through, China Daily said.
The damage was found in a section known as the 32nd Great Wall, one of the only surviving sections dating back to the Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644 Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Both were accused of destroying a cultural relic, the state media claimed.
The Shanxi Cultural Relics Office also said it caused “irreversible” damage to the integrity and safety of that part of the 13,000-mile stretch.
The site is damaged beyond repair. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
The entire Great Wall of China was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn