The pig farm was located in Liuye township in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, where precipitation in the last 20 hours has reached 390 mm, with rain battering the region since last week. [Photo/Xinhua]

Thousands of carcasses were floating in the floodwaters. Pigs that managed to survive the flooding were seen crawling to the shore or climbing on rooftops. Some of the dead pigs have begun to rot and are emanating a foul smell detectable from hundreds of meters away.

Such a large number of animals drowning in a single event is unprecedented in the autonomous region, said Nong Yingxiang, an official with the autonomous region's animal health watchdog.

Local authorities have set up a team to bury and sterilize the swine. A burial spot has been selected and the carcasses still in the river will be salvaged by Wednesday. The clean-up is expected to finish in seven days.