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An excavator reportedly carved out a gap in the Great Wall of China on August 24, and two people were detained in the country over what officials say is "irreversible" damage. A 38-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman are accused of creating the breach because they wanted a shortcut to use for passing through the wall, CNN reports. China Daily says they were contractors working on a construction project nearby.
The incident took place in northern Shanxi province in an area known as the 32nd Great Wall, one of the surviving complete walls and watchtowers that dates back to the Ming dynasty from 1368 to 1644. The suspects have been charged with destroying a cultural relic, the New York Post reports. Officials say the integrity and safety of that portion of the UNESCO World Heritage Site have been damaged and that the breach cannot be repaired.