The managers said that on November 17 and 18 the perpetrators used chainsaws to cut down the trees, whose scientific name is Burretiodendron hsienmu. The trees weighed a total of 40 cubic metres.

Deputy chairman of the provincial People's Committee Nong Van Chi inspected the scene yesterday, along with representatives from the local Forest Management Department, police and district people's committee.

Some parts of the trees were discovered separated into blocks, but had not been transported out of the park.

The initial investigation showed that the culprits are local residents who have joined forces with wood traffickers to cut down the trees.

The Bac Kan Police, in co-ordination with the forest managers, are researching the transportation methods used to remove the chopped wood.

The provincial authorities condemned the incident as serious deforestation. On Wednesday, provincial party committee secretary Nguyen Xuan Cuong chaired an urgent meeting to define the reasons behind the destruction and to outline the responsibility of relevant agencies. Measures were also discussed to prevent further illegal deforestation in the national park.

(VietNamNet/VNS)