Deep in a Vietnamese forest, a six-year-old boy who had been missing for five days has recently been located.

Local reports stated that on August 17, Dang Tien Lam, who resides in the northwest province of Yen Bai, got lost while playing in a stream with his nine siblings.

Local farmers were clearing a cinnamon crop near the forest on Wednesday when they heard a child's cries.

Lam had grown so frail that he was unable to stand when he was discovered seated among cassava bushes approximately 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) from where he went missing.

"I'm so tired, I can't stand up, please carry me up," Lam said, according to 52-year-old farmer Ly Van Nang, who were among those who found the boy.

Lam survived on leaves and wild fruits, as well as drinking streamwater, reports said.

Pictures online show locals tending to him and offering him cake after he was carried out of the forest. They show him wearing a red T-shirt and shorts that were completely soiled and with frazzled hair.

"[The child told me] that when he got lost, he could not find his way home. And the more he walked, the more he could not find a way out," said Mr Nang, according to local news site Dan Tri.

The police said it was a "miracle" that Lam was found alive, adding that he is in stable health. "Congratulations on returning safely to your family," they wrote on a Facebook post.

The news sparked relief on Vietnamese social media, with many congratulating Lam's family and thanking the search team for their efforts.

Local authorities had mobilised more than 150 people - including police officers, soldiers and local volunteers - in search of Lam.