A cache-clearing command produced by Claude Code erased heritage files from conservationist Udaya Kumar P L’s computer, according to Deccan Herald’s September 1 report. Kumar said the deletion continued for about four minutes before he shut the computer down.
The incident happened on July 19 while Claude Code was testing software and clearing its cache. Kumar said a quoting error in the generated command expanded the deletion beyond the intended directory. When the agent recognized the problem and tried to stop the process, he said, its safety system blocked both attempts.
The report identifies Claude Code version 2.1.204 and describes the loss of software and original photographs of inscriptions, hero stones, temples and coins.
The Mythic Society, which launched the Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project in 2021, was spending ₹15 lakh to strengthen its backup systems, the report said.