British teenager dies in motorbike crash in Vietnam

A 19-year-old British woman has died after a motorbike crash on a popular scenic route in Vietnam.

Orla Wates died in Hanoi’s Viet Duc Friendship Hospital on 2 April after the crash on the Ha Giang Loop in the country’s north, according to Viet Nam News.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said its consular staff are supporting her family.

“Orla was beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit,” her parents, Andrew and Henrietta Wates, told Viet Nam News.

“She loved to look good and lived life to the full.”

Her mother thanked the hospital’s Dr Trịnh Van Dong and its ICU team for caring for Ms Wates and said her organs had been donated to save others.

She said: “At this extremely difficult time for our family, we chose to donate Orla’s organs, as we believe that if there were a way to give opportunity to others, this is what Orla would have wanted.

“Knowing that she is living on through them brings us great comfort.”

In an emotional interview shared to the hospital’s social media page, her father said: “Vietnam was a country she loved and so to give back to Vietnam as well I think is very important for us.”

Her mother added: “She had the best time here, she was loving every minute of it. So it is our way of thanking you.”

The Ha Giang Loop is a road trip of around 350km that winds through the Vietnamese mountains, near the border with China.

It is popular among tourists, and inexperienced motorcyclists often ride pillion in a group with tour operators.

The loop typically takes around three to four days on a motorbike.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Orla Wates, following her tragic death in Vietnam,” an FCDO spokesperson said.

“We are in touch with the local authorities, and our consular staff are doing all they can to support Orla’s family at this hugely difficult time.”