Li Zuming, a worker of a pig farm in Luan, East China's Anhui province cries over the precarious fate of 6,000 pigs, who have been neck-deep in water for nearly 20 hours due to heavy flooding that has made it impossible to move them to a safe place. [Photo/IC]

Workers from a local agricultural company and some volunteers have arrived at an inundated farm in Eastern China's Anhui province to help transfer some 6,000 pigs trapped in water for about 20 hours due to heavy flooding, a farm manager said.

Li Xiaobo, the pig farm's manager, told China Daily that about 60 people have arrived at the farm to help, including workers from agricultural company Xishang Group and nearby volunteers. Some pigs have drowned, he said.

Photos of workers crying in front of pigs in the farm in Shucheng county of Luan in Anhui went viral online on today, which drew public attention to the pigs' fate.

Li said that Shucheng county has suffered severe flooding, and one problem was that thousands of pigs needed to be transferred to safety, and only large trucks could drive in the flood waters to transfer the pigs.

Li said he preferred to sell the pigs directly in this transfer, but it was hard to sell so many pigs at once, and they are mulling a detailed plan. The price of these pigs is the same as before, but the transfer fees will be higher, he said.

From Thursday to Monday, precipitation reached 285 millimeters in Bailin township, where the farm is located.