Two people arrested in China for allegedly damaging the Great Wall with an excavator | cnn

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Two people have been arrested in China after allegedly damaging a section of the Big Wall in the northern province of Shanxi with an excavator, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Youyu County authorities said they received a report on Aug. 24 that a gap had been created in the wall in Yangqianhe Township, CCTV reported.

After an investigation, the police discovered that a 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman had used an excavator to breach the wall in order to create a shortcut through it, causing “irreversible” damage to the integrity and security of that part. of the wall, the station said.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

The area, known as the 32nd Great Wall, is one of the surviving complete walls and watchtowers dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is listed as a provincial cultural relic site. The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.