Soldiers of Team K74 has recovered an additional 39 sets of martyrs' remains at Lê Thị Riêng Park in HCM City, bringing the site’s total number found since June 23 to 942. — Photo courtesy of the HCM City High Command

HCM CITY — Search teams have recovered an additional 39 sets of martyrs' remains at Zone B of Lê Thị Riêng Park in HCM City, bringing the total number unearthed at the site to 942 since operations began on June 23.

The city High Command on November 4 announced that its specialised search and recovery unit, Team K74, processed over 620cu.m of soil while expanding the search perimeter in Zone B.

Operations were supported by heavy machinery, including three excavators, one dump truck, and two 3.5-tonne trucks.

During the second phase of the search, running from October 15 to November 4, recovery teams unearthed 211 individual sets of remains, 45 of which were accompanied by personal artifacts.

In the initial phase from June 23 to October 14, teams recovered 731 sets of remains.

The city subsequently organised a solemn memorial and reburial ceremony at the HCM City Martyrs’ Cemetery in accordance with state regulations.

In total, 942 sets of remains have been recovered at the park between June 23 and November 4, including 352 sets with relics.

Among the total, 909 were found individually and 33 were recovered from eight mass graves — two located in Zone A and six in Zone B.

Lê Thị Riêng Park, formerly Đô Thành Cemetery, is a key focus area where search teams are excavating the remains of fallen soldiers from the 1968 Tết (Lunar New Year) General Offensive and Uprising.

Each recovered set of remains is documented, photographed, and digitalised to assist identification before being preserved at the memorial house inside the park.

The ongoing operation forms part of the nationwide “500 Days and Nights Campaign to Accelerate the Search, Recovery and Identification of Martyrs' Remains,” running from March 15, 2026 to July 27, 2027.

The High Command said recovery efforts will continue, reflecting the profound gratitude and responsibility of the municipal Party Committee, local authorities, armed forces, and citizens towards those who sacrificed their lives for national liberation, construction, and defence. — VNS