Recovery teams on July 10 uncovered around 10 more sets of human remains during excavation work at Le Thi Rieng Park in Ho Chi Minh City, where authorities are searching for the remains of Vietnamese war martyrs.
Several of the remains were found inside military-style body bags similar to those commonly used by US forces during the Vietnam War. The durable canvas bags had not decomposed, helping to preserve the remains.
At the excavation site, two sets of remains were found stacked inside two intact body bags. Officials said the layered arrangement provided further evidence that the location is a mass burial site.
The bags holding the martyrs' remains at Le Thi Rieng Park share several features with body bags used by the US military on the Vietnam battlefield. The most recognisable detail is the carrying handles (Photo: Ngoc Tan).
After carefully removing the soil covering the bags, recovery teams transferred each set of remains to a designated area for DNA sampling and examination of any personal artefacts recovered alongside them.
Major General Tran Chi Tam, deputy political commissar of Military Region 7, said the remains had been buried for nearly 60 years and were in varying states of preservation. Those not enclosed in protective bags had deteriorated much more severely.
Major General Tran Chi Tam, deputy political commissar of Military Region 7, climbs into the excavation trench to direct the operation (Photo: Ngoc Tan).
"We must proceed with the utmost care to ensure that no remains are left behind. Even if the remains have decomposed into soil, that soil must also be collected. We want to bring every one of them home so that their families and the public can pay their respects," Tran Chi Tam said.
The body bags containing the martyrs' remains share several characteristics with those used by the US military during the Vietnam War, most notably their distinctive carrying handles.
