In Tielu Town, Tongjiang County, Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China, some villagers tried to use a drone in the early hours of the 24th to airlift a 'New Year’s Pig' down the mountain for slaughter. Unexpectedly, the drone and the pig together brought down high-voltage power lines, causing a blackout in the whole village for 10 hours.
Villagers Use Drone to Transport Multiple 'New Year’s Pigs' Down the Mountain for Slaughter
According to Cover News, a villager in Tielu Town, Tongjiang County, attempted to use a drone to transport several home-raised New Year’s pigs down the mountain in batches for slaughter. However, an accident occurred on the very first run.
At the time of the incident, it was still dark and visibility was low. While the villager was operating the drone to carry the pig, the rope became entangled with a high-voltage power line, leaving both the drone and the live pig hanging in mid-air and causing a village-wide blackout. The villagers tried to fix it themselves but ultimately had to seek help from the power supply department.
The attempt to transport the pig by drone resulted in it getting tangled in an overhead power line, causing a short circuit. Emergency repairs by the power company took 10 hours to restore power.
Staff from the Tiefu Police Station of the Tongjiang County Public Security Bureau confirmed the incident and stated that someone was suspected of flying a drone in a no-fly zone. Authorities are investigating, and if a violation is found, the villager involved will face administrative penalties and be required to compensate for the damage to power facilities.
The Tiefu Power Supply Station stated that the incident, involving a drone transporting a pig and destroying power lines, required cleaning up entangled objects and replacing damaged wiring, with repair costs nearing ten thousand yuan.
Cover News quoted legal experts as saying that agricultural drones have load and flight environment restrictions and must not be operated illegally. If serious consequences result, it could constitute a criminal offense.