Authorities have recovered 150 sets of remains believed to belong to fallen Vietnamese soldiers after more than three weeks of excavation at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ho Chi Minh City Command announced on July 29 that six additional sets of remains had been found after the search area at the park was expanded.
Excavation began on July 6, with teams digging two trenches measuring about 20 metres and 30 metres in length and 2 to 4 metres deep. One trench was located beside the park's traditional house, while the other was about 50 metres away.
In total, investigators have recovered 150 sets of remains along with dozens of artefacts, including AK rifles, ammunition, rings and ballpoint pens.
Among the recovered items was an artefact bearing the name of fallen soldier Huynh Van Quen. It was returned to the soldier's family in Long An Province on July 26.
The Ho Chi Minh City Command said it is preparing to relocate a memorial stele in front of the first excavation trench to expand the search area and recover any remaining sets of soldiers' remains.
The search and recovery operation at Le Thi Rieng Park was launched on July 6 following the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra at a workshop verifying information about a mass grave of martyrs in the area.
Earlier, based on witness accounts and historical records, the Ho Chi Minh City Command estimated that hundreds of martyrs killed during the 1968 Tet Offensive and Uprising may have been buried in Do Thanh - Chi Hoa cemetery, now Le Thi Rieng Park.
