Unknown people had blocked the ventilation of a pigsty in Großklein (Leibnitz district). Due to the subsequent overheating inside the stable, 45 animals died. It was initially unclear whether the remaining 24 pigs would survive. An official veterinarian was called in and the investigation is ongoing, according to the Styria State Police Directorate.
The perpetrators broke into the unlocked stable area of a pig farm between Sunday 7 p.m. and Monday around 8:30 a.m. There they deactivated the alarm system for the stable ventilation. They then blocked the fan in the exhaust pipe with a wooden slat regarding 2.5 meters long. As a result, the stable rooms overheated significantly, causing 45 pigs to die in agony.
