An unusual incident occurred in the town of Tifu in China's Sichuan province, where a farmer cut off electricity to the entire village for over 10 hours. The cause was his attempt to transport a live pig using a drone across mountainous terrain. The farmer used the drone to move the New Year's pig from the top of the mountain down before slaughter. He intended to complete the task before sunrise. However, poor nighttime visibility caused the drone's suspended rope to collide with high-voltage power lines. This led to the drone and the pig getting stuck in mid-air, causing a short circuit that cut off power to the village. The farmer tried to solve the problem himself without immediately informing the authorities, which delayed the repair work. When the electrical department was contacted, a team of 12 workers took 10 full hours to clear the debris and repair the damaged lines, at a cost of about 10,000 Chinese yuan. Local police confirmed that the farmer faces charges of 'operating a drone in a prohibited area.' If found to have violated the laws, he could face financial penalties or be required to pay for the repair costs. China's Ministry of Public Security recently warned about the increasing number of unauthorized drone use cases in recent years, highlighting the risks to aviation and public safety, including flights near commercial aircraft paths and illegal device modifications to exceed permitted altitudes.
