Local residents in Gaoqin village, Binyang district, Nanning city, employed an excavator to rescue pigs caught in the floodwaters. The machine extended its arm, carefully gripping each pig to lift it to safety. A Binyang district representative confirmed the authenticity of the video footage documenting the event.

These pigs belonged to several upstream farmers. Local residents explained that if left adrift, the animals would perish and decompose, contaminating the water supply. "The biggest challenge was controlling the excavator's grip to prevent the pigs from slipping away or being harmed," a resident at the scene stated.

The group successfully brought eight pigs to shore. The animals are currently being housed, awaiting their owners or slated for use as relief aid.

Residents of Binyang district, Nanning city, Guangxi, used an excavator to rescue pigs from floodwaters on 7/7. Source: iFeng

Concurrently, in Nanxin village, rescue workers, secured by ropes, navigated neck-deep floodwaters. They collaborated with a farm owner to push another group of pigs to safety via boat. "We tried to save as many as we could," said Lu, a member of the rescue team.

These rescue operations unfolded amid days of heavy rainfall, which triggered severe flooding across Guangxi. The breach of the Lu Lan reservoir devastated numerous farms. In Xutang village, Hengzhou city, Mr. Xie reported the complete destruction of his family's timber workshop and farm. Floodwaters swept away over 16,000 pigs, causing an estimated 50 million yuan in damages.

An excavator lifts a pig from floodwaters in Binyang district, Nanning city, Guangxi, on 7/7. Photo: Stheadline

The severe weather began with Typhoon Maysak, which made landfall on Hainan island on 3/7 before weakening into a tropical depression on the afternoon of 5/7, bringing torrential rain. Authorities in Guangxi elevated the flood alert to red, the highest of four levels, starting from 4/7.

As of the afternoon of 8/7, the natural disaster in Guangxi had resulted in six fatalities, 16 missing persons, and affected 375,000 individuals. Chinese officials have deployed thousands of rescuers and urged residents to prepare for extreme weather conditions in the coming days.

Minh Phuong (According to Worldjournal, iFeng)