SHAH ALAM - A farmer in southwestern China caused a 10-hour power outage in his village after using a drone to transport pigs, only for one of the animals to become suspended mid-air when the drone’s rope snagged a power line.
The incident occurred in Tongjiang county, Sichuan province, in the early hours of Jan 24, according to mainland outlet The Cover, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The unnamed farmer had been using a drone to lift pigs from his mountainous village to a slaughterhouse, citing the difficulty of transporting livestock by vehicle due to the area’s terrain.
However, as the first pig was being flown down the mountain, the rope attached to the drone became entangled with a high-voltage cable, leaving the animal stranded in mid-air.
The farmer later attributed the mishap to poor visibility, saying it was still dark at the time.
A representative from the local power supply authority reportedly said the entanglement caused a blackout lasting about 10 hours.
Twelve workers were dispatched to repair the damaged line, with costs estimated at around 10,000 yuan (about RM6,700). Electricity was restored by 5pm the same day.
Police investigations found the farmer may have breached regulations by operating the drone in a no-fly zone and overloading the device. Authorities are still gathering evidence and said the farmer could face administrative penalties and be required to compensate for equipment damage if found at fault.
The unusual incident quickly gained traction on Chinese social media, where users responded with humour.
“When they brought the pig down, was it already cooked from the electric shock?” one commenter joked, while another quipped: “This pig shot to fame before its death — the definition of a flying pig.”
Agricultural drones are widely used in rural China, particularly in mountainous regions. However, drone-related accidents are not uncommon. In 2024 alone, Sichuan recorded more than 40 cases of illegal drone operations, resulting in injuries and damage to property and power lines.
In a separate incident last October, a farmer in central Hubei province lost his thumb after being struck by a runaway drone. A court later ordered the drone owner to pay 140,000 yuan (about US$20,000) in compensation.