Howard Limbert, an expert of the British Cave Research Association said that his team had found traces of a collapsed cave in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh which beats the record of the world’s largest cave of Son Doong.

The expert made the announcement in talks with the local newspaper Saigon Giai phong on May 23.

According to Limbert, the newly-discovered cave is only 2,000m long but it is 30m higher and 50m wider than Son Doong, which measures 200m high, 150m wide and at least 6,500m long.

Unfortunately, the giant cave has collapsed, Limbert said, adding that it was formed by water and also destroyed by water.

During their research trip of Son Doong Cave, scientists from the UK and the US found a streak of collapse running from north to south and numerous giant stalactites in the area in front of the cave. Tests on samples of stone and stalactites taken along the 2km-long streak showed that they were in a big cave formed tens of millions of years ago, connecting the back door of En Cave to the mouth of Son Doong Cave. However, huge floods had caused the cave to collapse at some time from 370,000 to 2 million years ago, according to the British expert.

Limbert also said that his team has found 10 vertical caves in Xuong valley along Chay river within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park.-VNA