• Drone animal transport attempt caused sudden power outage in a Chinese village
• Repairing required 12 workers and 10 hours

A village in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, witnessed a bizarre and unusual incident after a farmer attempted to use a drone to transport his animals to the slaughterhouse.

The attempt ended with an animal getting caught in power lines, causing a 10-hour electricity outage in the village.

The farmer, whose name was not disclosed, said he used the drone in the morning to transport his animals from his mountainous area to the slaughterhouse, due to the difficulty of using vehicles in the rugged terrain of his Tongjiang County village.

He added that the accident occurred when the drone’s cables got entangled in a high-voltage line while lowering the first animal, causing it to stop midair.The farmer attributed the accident to poor visibility, as it was still dark at the time.

A local electricity authority employee said the village experienced a 10-hour power outage, adding: “We sent 12 workers to repair the lines, and the repair cost around 10,000 yuan ($1,400).”

Power was restored in the village by 5 p.m. on the same day.

Preliminary police investigations indicated that the farmer may have violated the law by using the drone in a restricted flight zone, and that the drone was carrying more than its allowed capacity.

The responsible officer said: “We are still gathering evidence. If he is found guilty of breaking the law, he will face administrative penalties and will be required to compensate for the damage to the power equipment.”

The incident sparked waves of humor on Chinese social media.

Agricultural drones are widely used in rural and mountainous areas, but drone accidents without a pilot often make the news.

In 2024 alone, more than 40 cases of illegal drone use were recorded in Sichuan, resulting in injuries to people and damage to property or power lines.