British teen dies in reported Vietnam motorbike fall

A "beautiful, independent and very funny" British teenager has died in a road accident in Vietnam.

Local media reported 19-year-old Orla Wates, from London, was travelling the Ha Giang Loop in northern Vietnam when she fell from the back of a motorcycle. She was in Southeast Asia on a gap year before starting a degree at Durham University.

Viet Nam News said she was taken to Hanoi's Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, and she died on 2 April, with her parents at her bedside.

Her parents said: "Orla was beautiful, independent and very funny, with a sharp wit. She loved to look good and lived life to the full."

Orla's mother Henrietta Wates said the family had chosen to donate her organs to the hospital to help others: "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."

Viet Nam News reported that organ donations had been made to "five critically ill Vietnamese patients" at the hospital.

A hospital representative said: "In the face of profound grief, her family made a deeply compassionate decision that transcended nationality and race - to donate her organs, giving others a chance at life...

"One journey has come to an end, but her life continues quietly and resiliently in others who have been given a second chance."

Orla's father, Andrew Wates, told the hospital his daughter had loved Vietnam and so to give back to the South East Asian nation was "very important" to his family.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Orla Wates, following her tragic death in Vietnam."

The FCDO confirmed that it was in touch with local authorities and offering support to Orla's family at "this hugely difficult time".

The Ha Giang Loop is the name given to a road trip approximately 350km (217 miles) long, through the mountains of north Vietnam.

Many tour operators suggest riding on the back of a motorcycle with a local guide at the helm, particularly for inexperienced riders.

Vietnam is notorious for dangerous roads, with more than 10,000 people killed and 16,000 injured in traffic accidents in 2024.