The Great Escape: Runaway pigs rescued from floodwater in southwest China

Around 3,000 pigs were able to escape from their farm due to rising floodwater in Xingyi City in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Friday.

Continuous rainfall flooded the road leading to the pig farm, which is located in a low-lying area.

A number of sheds, pigsties and electrical equipment were submerged, allowing some of the animals to escape.

A new passage was created behind the farm due to the force of the water flow offering the pigs access off the site.

After becoming aware of the incident, officials arrived at the scene and organized villagers to round the animals up.

Thanks to their joint efforts, over 1,000 pigs were transferred from the farm to other places.

Since May, parts of China have been affected by continuous rain and hailstorms.

In mid-June, the heaviest rainfall of the year caused severe floods and landslides in many provinces, with over 10 million people affected.

The provinces of Sichuan, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hunan and Zhejiang and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are amongst the hardest hit.

According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 11 provinces and autonomous region have been affected by floods and landslides since 29 June.

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