Thirty nine new caves were explored in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park by a team from the British Caving Research Association, Ha Noi Natural Sciences University, and the park.

Between March 16 and April 25 they measured a combined 17km, with three – the 1,100m May, the 213m Vuc Moi, and the 1,230m Lan – being "meaningful for cave research".

The others include the 1,260m A Ky cave and 840m Vong Phu.

The latest discoveries bring the park's total explored cave length to 200km.

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park won UNESCO's heritage status in 2003 thanks to its 300 caves and grottos dating back some 400 million years. — VNS