In the early morning darkness of January 24, a farmer in southwestern China attempted an innovative solution to a logistical challenge that would soon leave his entire community in the dark.
According to sources, an unidentified farmer from Tongjiang county in Sichuan province had devised what seemed like an efficient plan: use a drone to transport his pigs from his mountainside home down to a slaughterhouse below. With the Lunar New Year approaching and traditional pig slaughtering season underway, he hoped the aerial method would save time and labor in moving more than a dozen animals down the difficult terrain.
According to The Cover news outlet, the farmer explained that “the location of his village in Tongjiang county, Sichuan province makes it inconvenient to transport pigs using vehicles.” The mountainous geography had made conventional transportation methods impractical.
However, the ambitious plan encountered immediate problems. As the first pig was hoisted into the air and began its aerial journey, the drone’s rope became entangled with a high-voltage power line. The farmer later attributed the mishap to poor visibility in the pre-dawn hours.
Video footage from the scene shows the surreal sight of a pig dangling helplessly in mid-air, suspended from the drone, which had become firmly stuck on the electrical cables. The animal swayed in the wind as the farmer and neighbors attempted various rescue methods, but the height and danger of the situation made their efforts unsuccessful.
Epic blackout in China caused by a pig flying on a drone
A humorous incident occurred at the end of January. A farmer decided to use a drone to transport an animal across mountainous terrain, but the drone hit power lines.
As a result, the pig got stuck, and thousands of people… pic.twitter.com/ZOvl1mNreA
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 6, 2026
The consequences extended far beyond one stranded pig. The entanglement damaged the electricity lines, triggering a massive power outage that affected neighboring villages for more than ten hours. Residents were left without electricity throughout much of the day while the farmer desperately tried to resolve the situation.
Eventually, the farmer contacted authorities for help. Police and electrical company crews arrived at the scene to handle the delicate extraction. Only after ensuring safety protocols were in place could workers successfully free both the pig and the drone from the power lines. Electricity was finally restored to the affected villages that afternoon.
Local police indicated the farmer could face consequences for the damage caused to the electrical infrastructure.
