Two Israelis Die Abroad: One in Vietnam Motorcycle Crash, Another Drowns in Thailand

Two Israeli citizens have died in separate incidents in East Asia. In Vietnam, 23-year-old David Ben Lulu from Jerusalem was killed in a motorcycle accident on Friday, hundreds of kilometers from the capital, Hanoi. Simultaneously, an Israeli man in his seventies drowned in a swimming pool at a hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.

Following the news of the fatal accident in Vietnam, ZAKA's international unit and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs began coordinating with relevant authorities in France and Vietnam. The complexity of the case is heightened by the fact that Ben Lulu also held French citizenship. The French consulate in Hanoi, which was scheduled to be closed, opened on Sunday specifically to expedite the handling of the case and complete necessary documentation.

ZAKA's international unit is also working with Ben Lulu's family and local officials to finalize procedures for transporting his body to Hanoi and then flying it to Israel for burial. Serge Ben Haim, commander of ZAKA France, stated that efforts are ongoing with French, Vietnamese, and Israeli authorities. He personally visited the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the team in Hanoi received the necessary directives for the repatriation process.

Haim Weingarten, ZAKA's deputy operations director, described the situation as complex, requiring coordination across multiple countries. He expressed hope that all necessary actions would be completed swiftly to bring David's body back to Israel for burial with full respect.