The man, who is now facing a police investigation, had sought to find a quicker route to a local slaughterhouse in the mountainous Tongjiang county area.

His plan went awry when the rope he was using to lift the pig became entangled in an electricity line, the South China Morning Post reports.

The incident caused a 10-hour-long blackout in the nearby village, which ended after emergency repairs costing around 10,000 yuan (around €1,220 or £1,070).

A police spokesperson said the farmer is now being investigated for using a drone in a no-fly zone.

“If he is confirmed to have breached the law, he will face an administrative punishment and need to compensate for electricity equipment losses,” they said.