Pigs escape after their transport vehicle wrecked

Photo: NTB scanpix / Freddie Larsen

Several pigs have died and several have escaped after an animal transport vehicle drove off the road at Ørje in Østfold. The driver was slightly injured.

 

On Wednesday afternoon a truck with 130 pigs drove off county road 21 outside Ørje in Østfold.

According to the police, the driver is slightly injured and has explained that the truck suffered a technical failure ahead of the accident.

“The driver says that one wheel locked before the truck drove off the road and tipped over to the side. Some of the pigs in the truck died in the crash while others were injured. Several pigs also took off into the forest,” says operations manager Ronny Årstein from the East Police District.

According to operations leader, the pigs that were severely injured were killed by the police in consultation with veterinary, local farmers and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

“Three people from Viltnemnda are now looking for the escaped pigs together with local farmers. It is currently unclear how many pigs escaped,” says Årstein.

Assistant Communications Director Eskil Pedersen in Nortura confirms to NTB that the animal transport vehicle belonged to them.

“We are in charge of the truck. It is a hired transport as most of our animal transport vehicle are,” says Pedersen.

He says that he currently is not aware of the end destination of the transport when the accident occurred.

“This is of course a sad thing, but unfortunately this has happened. We will follow up this issue in the future,” said Pedersen.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today