VietNamNet Bridge – A 20-year-old student in Ha Noi who climbed Mt. Fansipan 12 days ago is still missing, according to police.

Pham Ngoc Anh, a second-year student at Ha Noi University of Fine Arts, had descended the mountain, the highest in Indochina, before the other four members of his group, who took a break at the 2,800-metre mark on July 12.

The students had climbed the 3,143-metre-high Fansipan during a trek organised by Viet A Travel JSC in Sapa.

The company immediately reported the missing student to police and the Hoang Lien National Park authorities after discovering that the student had not joined the group at a later meeting.

A total of 30 people in three teams have searched for Anh, according to a Viet Nam News Agency reporter in Lao Cai Province.

The location where Anh went missing is in a dangerous area with several crevices and cliffs hundreds of metres high.

Though the weather turned to heavy rain and strong winds, the search teams have continued to look for the young man. Police dogs may also be used, they said.

Thousands of climbers take the trek each year, but few get lost, according to local officials.

Several experienced climbers said, after hearing the news, that it would be rare for anyone to survive more than 10 days in the forest.

Source: VNS