A farmer in southwestern China sparked widespread online discussion after an attempt to transport pigs by drone went wrong, leaving one animal stranded in mid-air and cutting electricity to an entire village for hours.
The incident occurred in a mountainous area of Tongjiang County, where the unnamed farmer used a drone to lift pigs from his remote hillside village to a nearby slaughterhouse. According to local media reports, the terrain makes vehicle access difficult, prompting the farmer to turn to aerial transport as a practical alternative.
Trouble struck during the early morning hours of January 24, when visibility was low. As the first pig was being lowered, the rope attached to the drone became entangled with a high-voltage power line running across the mountainside. The drone was forced to stop mid-flight, leaving the pig suspended above the ground and damaging the electricity line.
Residents soon discovered the wider impact of the mishap. A local power supply authority confirmed that the accident caused a blackout lasting around 10 hours, affecting households across the village. Repair crews were dispatched to the scene, with 12 workers involved in restoring the damaged line.
“The repair costs are about 10,000 yuan,” a power company employee said, adding that the outage was resolved later the same day. Images of the pig hanging helplessly from the drone, tangled near the power cables, quickly spread across Chinese social media platforms, where users reacted with a mix of humour, disbelief and concern.
The farmer reportedly told authorities that darkness and poor visibility contributed to the accident. While no injuries were reported, police said the man could face penalties for damaging electrical infrastructure, as operating drones near power lines without proper safeguards violates safety regulations.
The episode highlights the growing use of drones in rural China, where farmers increasingly rely on unmanned aircraft for tasks such as crop spraying, deliveries and surveying hard-to-reach land. However, experts warn that improper use can pose risks to both public safety and critical infrastructure.
Online commentators noted that while the farmer’s creativity reflected real logistical challenges in remote areas, the incident underscored the need for clearer guidance and training on drone operation. Some called for better rural transport infrastructure to reduce reliance on risky alternatives.
As the story continues to circulate online, it has become another example of how everyday ingenuity, when combined with modern technology, can sometimes lead to unexpected consequences.
