Two domestic tourists missing in Central Highlands flooding

By Khanh Huong, Phuoc Tuan November 29, 2020 | 07:54 am PT

Two female tourists were swept away by flash floods Sunday as they walked across a suspension bridge in a national park in Lam Dong Province.

Two others – a man and a woman – who managed to cling to a tree when it happened were saved by a rescue team.

The accident happened at around 3 p.m. as the four tourists, all Ho Chi Minh City residents, were walking on a suspension bridge hanging over the Da Nhim River in the Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park.

The park in Da Chais Commune, Lac Duong District is about 40 km away from the popular resort town of Da Lat.

The rescue team finds missing tourists amid pouring rain on the afternoon of November 29, 2020. Photo by VnEpress/Khanh Huong.

A rescue team searches for two missing tourists amid pouring rain in the Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park, Lam Dong Province, November 29, 2020. Photo by VnEpress/Khanh Huong.

Local authority have mobilized more than 200 people for a search and rescue mission amid pouring rain in the afternoon. But the two women, 28 and 31 years old, are still missing.

The four people were part of a group of 64 tourists from HCMC who reached the national park on Saturday.

They had climbed the 2,287 m high Bidoup peak and were returning when the mishap happened, district authorities said.

Many areas in Lam Dong have been experiencing pouring rain since Saturday night, and water levels have risen in local rivers and streams. The total rainfall in Da Nhim and Da Chais communes have been measured at over 120 mm, the highest in the province.

The Bidoup - Nui Ba National Park is one of the five biggest national parks in Vietnam. The 63,938-hectare park has been promoted as an ideal place for trekking and overnight camping. The park was added to the list of ASEAN heritage parks in November 2019.