Increased search forces for missing male tourist in Cuc Phuong forest

Regarding the 33-year-old male tourist missing in Cuc Phuong forest, Mr. Pham Kien Cuong, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Services (Cuc Phuong National Park) said: In the past few days, we have mobilized all forces (Search and Rescue Steering Committee, Commune Police) to search for the victim. Since 7:00 a.m. this morning (August 17), despite the rain, the search forces including the Steering Committee and 86 officers and soldiers of the Provincial Police (CAX, PK02, PC07), militia and self-defense forces, Cuc Phuong National Park Forest Rangers, with the support of 7 police dogs, fire trucks, and ambulances, have continued to search for the victim.

It is known that before that, on the afternoon of August 13, Mr. NQM went to Cuc Phuong National Park for tourism and stayed overnight in the Bong area. This is the farthest resting place, on the sightseeing and exploration route in Cuc Phuong forest. Notably, the Bong area is nearly 20km from the administrative center of Cuc Phuong National Park, so there is no phone signal.

On the morning of August 14, Mr. M. walked by himself along the route to explore the thousand-year-old Cho Chi tree (about 3km from Bong area). On the way to the Cho Chi tree, Mr. M. entered the Son Cung cave area (about 2km from Bong area) and disappeared from there. On the afternoon of August 14, many tourists visiting Son Cung cave discovered Mr. M.'s backpack, which contained a mobile phone and personal documents, and reported it to the Cuc Phuong National Park rangers.

Suspecting that Mr. M. had lost his way and gone missing, from the afternoon of August 14 until now, Cuc Phuong National Park has mobilized all its forces to search. According to the assessment of the functional forces: Mr. M. may have entered Son Cung cave to explore, but when he came out, because the V-shaped cave entrance was low and dark, while looking from inside the cave, it was easy to see the light from the sky gate area (not the exit), so he followed this direction. In case Mr. M. got out from the sky gate (the area halfway up the mountain), there would be no way down to the ground, surrounded by dense forest, so he could have gotten lost.