Heartbreaking footage shows dozens of pigs left to freeze to death after the lorry transporting them crashes into icy river in China
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
- The pigs were too heavy to be removed from the river and therefore had to be drowned
Heartbreaking footage shows dozens of dead pigs floating in an icy river after the truck carrying them crashed and fell into the water.
The incident is said to have occurred on February 1 on a road in Heze, eastern China’s Shandong province.
Disturbing footage shows several pigs struggling to tread water in the icy river after the truck they were in collided with another oncoming truck and overturned.
Many pigs looked around hopelessly for help, but their weight made them too heavy to be removed without machines.
Countless others avoided icy death because they were reportedly on their way to be slaughtered.
Disturbing footage shows several pigs struggling to tread water in the icy river after the truck they were in collided with another oncoming truck and overturned
Many pigs looked around hopelessly for help, but their weight made them too heavy to be removed without machines
Countless others avoided icy death because they were reportedly on their way to be slaughtered
Witnesses reported that the driver even tried to jump into the river to save the pigs, but that proved futile
The driver was unable to support their weight and they eventually had to be pulled from the water using an excavator
It is currently unclear if there were any other injuries in the accident, but there were no casualties
Witnesses reported that the driver even tried to jump into the river to save the pigs, but that proved futile.
The driver was unable to support their weight and they eventually had to be pulled from the water using an excavator.
It is currently unclear if there were any other injuries in the accident, but there were no casualties.
The driver later shared the footage on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, as a reminder to others to be careful while driving in cold weather.
Many social media users had no choice but to sympathize with the driver.
Lu Houwen wrote: ‘How helpless the driver must be at this moment. Who can understand what he felt at this moment?’
User ‘dihydrogen monoxide’ commented: ‘Who is going to pay for the losses in this kind of thing?’
Zhang Yan wrote, “I hope the driver is doing well. I feel bad looking at the pigs. It costs a lot of money.’
How many people die in traffic accidents in China every year?
There are more than 200,000 road deaths in China every year and driving fatigue is the main cause, according to figures from the WHO and Chinese media (file photo)
More than 200,000 people die every year on China’s notoriously dangerous roads, the World Health Organization said in a 2015 report.
Fatigued driving is the leading cause of traffic accidents and fatalities in China, according to reports based on figures from Chinese transport authorities.
More than 90,000 people die in crashes related to fatigue-related driving in China every year, and more than 20 percent of traffic accidents on China’s highways are caused by fatigue-related driving. Jinan Transport Radio reported citing sources from China’s Public Security Bureau.
According to the report, driving fatigue is most common among drivers late at night, early in the morning and after lunch; and drivers with six to 10 years of driving experience are most likely to fall asleep at the wheel.