A farmer in Tongjiang County, Sichuan, used a drone to airlift pigs on Jan 24. A tether snagged a high-voltage power line, leaving one pig suspended and causing a 10-hour blackout while crews repaired the damage.
Repairers sent 12 workers and estimated costs at about 10,000 yuan (£1,100). The farmer blamed poor visibility; authorities are investigating a possible no-fly violation and potential administrative penalties.
A remote village in Tongjiang County, Sichuan Province, was left without power for 10 hours after a farmer's drone — used to transport pigs to market — became entangled with a high-voltage line, leaving one animal suspended in mid-air.
On Jan 24 the farmer, who has not been named, attempted to airlift several pigs from a mountainous area where road access is difficult. During the first lift the drone's rope snagged a high-voltage electrical line, causing the pig to hang limply beneath the aircraft while villagers looked on.
An employee of the local power authority said the outage lasted about 10 hours. "We sent 12 workers to repair the line. The repair costs are about 10,000 yuan (approximately £1,100)," she said. The farmer blamed poor visibility for the accident and abandoned plans to move more than 10 pigs that day.
"We are still collecting evidence. If he is confirmed to have breached the law, he will face an administrative punishment and need to compensate for electricity equipment losses," a local officer said, referring to a possible no-fly zone violation.
Drones are increasingly common in Chinese agriculture for tasks such as surveillance, spraying and transport. However, using them to lift live animals introduces significant safety risks — both to people and infrastructure — and may be subject to aviation and local regulations.
Key facts: incident date Jan 24; location Tongjiang County, Sichuan; outage duration 10 hours; repair crew 12 workers; estimated damage about 10,000 yuan. An investigation into potential legal breaches is ongoing.
Help us improve.
