Seven sniffer dogs are sent to Cuc Phuong to assist rangers in widening the search area on August 17.
On August 17, Pham Kien Cuong, director of the Cuc Phuong Centre for Environmental Education and Services, said that no trace had yet been found of Nguyen Quoc Manh, who disappeared in the forest four days earlier.
Ninh Binh police deployed dozens of officers with specialised devices and seven sniffer dogs to assist rangers in widening the search area. Around 60 people from Cuc Phuong National Park, local authorities and police have been divided into small groups to examine suspicious sites.
According to Cuong, rescue teams have carefully combed the areas in and around Son Cung cave, where the missing tourist’s backpack was found, but discovered no further clues. Heavy rain in recent days has hampered the search.
Manh, 33, from Nam Sach Commune in Hai Phong City, travelled to Bong area, the park’s furthest tourist spot about 20 kilometres from the main gate, on August 13 and rented an overnight room. The site has no phone signal. The next morning, he hiked about 3 kilometres to a sightseeing spot and stopped by Son Cung Cave, leaving his backpack at the entrance.
That afternoon, another group of visitors found the bag along with his ID papers and phone intact. They took photos and reported the case to authorities. Rangers have since launched a continuous search with no result so far.
Park officials believe that after visiting the cave, Manh may have lost his way and wandered deep into the forest.
The search area has been extended for dozens of kilometres around Son Cung Cave. Bordering communes have also broadcast public notices and called for community support. However, torrential rains have complicated operations in the steep, dense forest.
Cuc Phuong National Park covers more than 22,200 hectares across Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Phu Tho provinces. Established in 1962 as Vietnam’s first national park, it is known for its rich tropical rainforest ecosystem and is a popular eco-tourism and scientific research site. From 2019 to 2024, it was named Asia’s Leading National Park by the World Travel Awards for six consecutive years.