Park officials reported on 16/8 that they are coordinating with forest rangers, local police, and Manh’s family to search for him.
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The core area of Cuc Phuong National Park is dense and contains many caves that attract tourists. Photo: Le Hoang |
The core area of Cuc Phuong National Park is dense and contains many caves that attract tourists. Photo: Le Hoang
According to his family, Manh arrived on the afternoon of 13/8 at the Bong area, the furthest sightseeing point, nearly 20 km from the park gate, and rented a room for the night. This area has no phone service. On the morning of 14/8, he left his room to hike the thousand-year-old Cho Chi tree trail, about 3 km from his accommodation. Along the way, he stopped at Son Cung Cave, leaving his backpack at the entrance because it was heavy.
That afternoon, a group of tourists passing by discovered Manh's backpack, identification papers, and phone untouched. They took photos and reported it to the authorities. Forest rangers searched around Son Cung Cave on the evening of 14/8 but found nothing.
On 15/8, the search expanded, involving multiple teams from the forest rangers, the tourism center, and the provincial police. However, his whereabouts remain unknown.
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The trail in the Bong area where the tourist is believed to have been hiking before he disappeared. Photo: Le Hoang |
The trail in the Bong area where the tourist is believed to have been hiking before he disappeared. Photo: Le Hoang
Park officials believe that Manh may have become lost after visiting the cave. The entrance to Son Cung Cave is V-shaped, low, and dark, while the "sky gate" exit is brighter, so he may have followed this route and become lost deeper in the forest. Manh's mother and relatives have arrived at the scene to assist in the search.
In addition to expanding the search area to several dozen kilometers around Son Cung Cave, authorities in neighboring communes have also made announcements on loudspeakers and appealed to the community for help. However, heavy rain over the past few days has hampered rescue efforts due to the slippery and dense terrain.
Cuc Phuong National Park covers over 22,200 hectares and spans Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Phu Tho (formerly Hoa Binh) provinces. Established in 1962, it is Vietnam's first national park, renowned for its rich tropical rainforest ecosystem and a popular destination for ecotourism and scientific research. Cuc Phuong has been named "Asia's Leading National Park" by the World Travel Awards for six consecutive years, from 2019 to 2024.
Le Hoang
