76,000 families lose power after farming drone tangles with 110kV line in southern Vietnam

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon in Tan Thanh District when the drone failed to maintain a safe distance and got caught in the high-voltage power line. This caused a power outage in the districts of Tan Thanh, Moc Hoa, Vinh Hung, and Tan Hung, affecting around 76,000 households in the Mekong Delta province.

Long An Electricity Company had to reroute power overnight, and after more than five hours of work, power was fully restored to the affected areas.

The drone has been temporarily confiscated by authorities, pending further investigation by the electricity company.

In response to the incident, Long An Electricity Company has placed warning signs prohibiting drones from flying near 110kV power lines. Additionally, they have collaborated with landowners and 148 drone operators to raise awareness of the dangers posed by high-voltage lines when using drones.

Farmers in Long An frequently use drones to spray pesticides on rice fields and fruit orchards due to the devices’ mobility, which improves efficiency and reduces costs.

According to regulations, drones and other aerial devices must maintain a distance of at least 100 meters from high-voltage power lines, except when performing maintenance or repairs on the lines.