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New Zealand police scale back volcano bodies search

New Zealand police said on Wednesday that the search for two bodies still missing after the White Island volcanic eruption will be reduced in the coming days as the remains had likely been washed out to sea.
Authorities have now recovered the bodies of 16 of the 18 people killed in the December 9 blast at the popular adventure tourist destination, but two have not been found.
All of the 18 have been identified.
Deputy police commissioner Mike Clement said the two missing - Australian Winona Jane Langford, 17, and New Zealander Hayden Bryan Marshall-Inman, 40 - were believed to have died near a stream on the island.
He said a wave of volcanic debris and rainfall since the eruption almost certainly swept them off the island and experts now think the bodies were in the open sea with little chance of recovery.
Emergency services have conducted aerial searches and sent dive teams into the waters off the island in efforts to locate the bodies.
A team of special forces troops also went onto the island and retrieved six bodies despite the threat of another eruption.
Clement said the search would continue but it would be handed over to local police in the next few days.
“We are deeply sorry that we haven’t until this time been able to recover the bodies,” he told reporters.
“We are literally in the hands of the sea.”
At least 12 of the 18 fatalities were Australians, while another three were US citizens living in Australia.
Two, including Marshall-Inman, were New Zealanders working as tour guides.
An 18th victim died in Sydney on Saturday and, while his family have requested his details remain private, media reports have said he was Australian.
A total of 47 day-trippers and guides were on the island when it erupted, hailing from Australia, the United States, Britain, China, Germany, Malaysia and New Zealand.
Authorities are examining why tour operators were allowed to take travelers onto the volcano’s rim just days after scientists had raised its threat level.
source: AFP
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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