Two construction workers were arrested by police in China after they used a mechanical digger to create a shortcut through the Great Wall.
According to the BBC, a 38-year-old man and 55-year-old woman were detained following the discovery of a “big gap”, apparently created to make a convenient passage to neighbouring towns.
The affected portion of wall was built during the Ming era, between the 14th and 17th centuries. The structure is a Unesco heritage site and protected by Chinese provincial law.
The Guardian quotes Chinese state news agency CCTV as saying that the wall was previously “relatively intact” and the duo had caused “irreversible damage”.
The Great Wall was built in stages, beginning in the seventh century BC, with many of the most famous sections added during the Ming dynasty. As well as defence, the wall offered trade routes and a border marker.
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