A pair of construction workers in China caused “irreversible damage” to the famed Great Wall, blasting a hole through the ancient relic with an excavator in late August, according to the BBC.
Police detained a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman after they allegedly dug a gap through one of the most well-preserved parts of the UNESCO world heritage site, the BBC reported Tuesday. The pair’s names have not been released publicly.
One man and one woman have been arrested after using an excavator to dig a giant hole through the Great Wall of China, causing irreversible damage.
The pair was apparently looking for a shortcut for their construction work nearby. pic.twitter.com/Sfeb4vV4CK
— The Recount (@therecount) September 5, 2023
The two were attempting to create a shortcut around the wall by using the excavator to widen an existing cavity in the structure, the outlet reported, citing police. Law enforcement accused the workers of causing “irreversible damage to the integrity of the Ming Great Wall and to the safety of the cultural relics.”
The two destroyed a well-preserved portion of the wall that had been built between the 14th and 17th centuries, during the Ming Dynasty. That particular preservation is notable, considering large portions of the wall have fallen into disrepair or disappeared altogether, according to the BBC.
Eight percent of the wall is considered well-preserved, while 30% has disappeared entirely, the outlet reported, citing a 2016 article in the Beijing Times. (RELATED: Fraud From The Great Wall Hits Wall Street)
Many sections of the wall have been pilfered by farmers and villagers, who take the brick and stone to build houses and pens for animals, according to the BBC.