Truck hauling 130 pigs falls into canal in Thailand, nearly 100 drown
A horrific accident in Thailand saw a truck carrying 130 pigs veer off the road and crash into a canal, leaving nearly 100 of the animals to drown in the murky waters.
Source: Siam Rath
A two-hour rescue operation
The 12-wheeler truck, which was transporting the pigs from a local farm, overturned into an irrigation canal in Suphan Buri on Wednesday morning (5 Mar), according to The Nation.
Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene at around 7am, after nearby residents heard the pigs squealing for help.
Photos from the scene showed the truck tipped sideways into the canal. This caused most of the pigs to fall onto one another, with many staying above water by climbing on top of other pigs.
When authorities arrived, they found dozens of pigs struggling to stay afloat, with some climbing onto others to escape drowning.
A two-hour rescue operation ensued, but only about 40 pigs could be saved.
Driver’s momentary lapse leads to tragedy
According to Siam Rath, the 38-year-old driver said he and two others were transporting the animals to a slaughterhouse.
Source: Siam Rath
He admitted that he had reached down to retrieve something while driving, taking his eyes off the road.
In doing so, he lost control of the vehicle, and although he tried to regain control by turning the wheel, it was too late—the truck tipped over and plunged into the canal.
Fortunately, all three people in the truck escaped unharmed.
A similar accident occurred around 7 years ago in the same province. In 2017, a truck carrying around 100 pigs also fell into a canal in Suphan Buri.
According to Khaosod English, 82 of the pigs drowned in the accident, causing damage in the hundreds of thousands of baht (~S$4,000).
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Featured image adapted from Siam Rath.Â
