Police in Shanxi province, China have detained two people after they allegedly dug a hole in the Great Wall of China, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The workers used machinery to dig a shortcut through a segment of the wall to continue work on the other side.
They admitted the allegations to police saying it shortened travel time between the two work sites located on either side of the wall.
Construction of the wall began in the third century BC and took hundreds of years. The section affected is located around six hours from Beijing.
State media reported the workers had caused “irreversible damage” to a section of the wall.
“Currently, the two suspects have been criminally detained in accordance with the law, and the case is continuing to be investigated,” authorities told CCTV.
