VietNamNet Bridge – The police of Lao Cai province have been searching for a British botanist who was reported to be missing since early November in Sapa.

Sapa town.

Major General Hoang Ngoc Thanh, police chief of Lao Cai province, said that in early November, the local police had received a report of a foreign tourist who rented a room at a hotel in Sa Pa, then went to Lai Chau and did not come back.

Immediately after receiving the information, Lao Cai police have combined with Sa Pa district authorities and police to search for the missing foreign tourist.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Dung, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Lao Cai province said that on December 11, she received a note from the UK Embassy in Hanoi asking the local authorities Lao Cai to help search a missing British citizen, who went to Sapa in early November.

The Lao Cai Department of Foreign Affairs asked the Lao Cai authorities permission to expand the search based on new information on the missing person provided by his relatives and the British Embassy.

The BBC on December 10 also reported that a Scottish botanist named Jamie Taggart, 41, was missing in Sa Pa. He was the manager of the Linn Botanic Gardens and a local firefighter. Last month he went to Vietnam. He left his backpack and passport at the guest house in Sa Pa before going out on November 2, and did not return.

Mr. Jim Taggart, the missing man’s father said that his son texted by phone four times before going missing. In the last message, he said that he traveled alone to an area that he visited two years ago and knew the way clearly.

About two months ago, a student of the Hanoi University of Fine Arts climbed the Fansipan (Sa Pa) and also went missing on the way back.

P. Linh