A four-day radar survey is underway at three sites inside the Hue Citadel to verify information on suspected mass graves dating back to the 1968 Tet Offensive.
Authorities in Hue, working with Vietnam's Ministry of National Defense, have begun using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to survey three locations inside the Hue Citadel in an effort to verify information about suspected mass graves of fallen soldiers before possible excavation and recovery.
Ground-penetrating radar is used to survey a suspected mass grave site near Chanh Tay Gate inside the Hue Citadel. Photo: Le Sau.
The city's Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery and Identification of Fallen Soldiers' Remains announced on the evening of June 25 that specialist teams had started surveying areas in Phu Xuan Ward where mass burial sites are believed to exist.
The operation is part of Vietnam's nationwide 500-day campaign to search for, recover and identify the remains of fallen soldiers.
On the first day of the survey, teams scanned two locations - Xuan 68 Street and the Chanh Tay Gate of the Hue Citadel.
Ground-penetrating radar works by transmitting electromagnetic waves into the ground and recording signals reflected by underground layers or objects with different physical characteristics. The technology can identify disturbed soil, burial pits and other subsurface anomalies without excavation.
The survey sites were identified after authorities gathered information from witnesses, war veterans and local residents, and cross-referenced their accounts with historical records related to the 1968 Tet Offensive and General Uprising.
During an inspection of the operation, Lieutenant General Ha Tho Binh, commander of Military Region 4, encouraged personnel at the site and urged specialist teams to carry out a thorough, scientific survey while ensuring no potential evidence is overlooked.
Ground-penetrating radar is used to survey another suspected mass grave site on Xuan 68 Street in Hue. Photo: Le Sau.
He stressed that all survey data must be carefully analysed and verified against witness testimony, veterans' accounts and historical documents to improve accuracy and help identify possible burial sites for future excavation and recovery.
The survey is scheduled to run from June 25 to 28, covering around 1,350 square metres. Experts will analyse the collected data to identify areas with the strongest indications of burial sites before recommending further verification and excavation.
Earlier, the Hue Military Command conducted an on-site inspection in Tay Loc Residential Area 15, Phu Xuan Ward, after receiving information from local residents and witnesses about a suspected mass grave.
According to Le Van Luot, born in 1956 and a resident of Phu Xuan Ward, he and his father passed through the Hue Citadel on the 25th day of the first lunar month in 1968, where they saw around 15 fallen soldiers buried together in a bomb crater near Chanh Tay Gate. The crater was nearly three metres deep.
Other witnesses and local residents have also said they saw fallen soldiers buried in the same area.
Authorities believe the former bomb crater is now located beneath Ton That Thiep Street, near its intersection with Thai Phien Street, beside Chanh Tay Gate.
As the investigation expanded, authorities identified additional locations where mass graves may exist, including areas near Huu Gate, Hau Gate and the former Tay Loc Airport, all within Phu Xuan Ward.
The search remains challenging because many of the suspected sites now lie beneath paved roads with underground electricity, water supply and drainage infrastructure.
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
