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New Zealand battles to rein in blaze at convention center

New Zealand fire services were battling a massive blaze on Tuesday on the roof of a convention center being built in the city of Auckland, considered to be the country’s biggest current building project.
The fire, which broke out at the SkyCity Convention Centre, is close to the Sky City tower in downtown Auckland. Videos posted by witnesses on Twitter showed fire and black smoke billowing from the roof.
“Fire is really building,” Auckland’s mayor, Phil Goff, said on Twitter. “People can be seen on the roof.”
Fire and emergency crews are fighting to bring the blaze under control, police said in a statement, adding that they were assisting Fire and Emergency NZ with cordons and evacuations of workers.
About 23 fire trucks from across greater Auckland had responded to the blaze, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said.
“There have been no reported injuries,” SkyCity said on Twitter, adding that everyone had been evacuated from the convention center, with Sky Tower and a casino closed until further notice.
Construction workers were among the hundreds of people evacuated, media said. Traffic came to a standstill in central Auckland, with people asked to avoid the business district and urged to take precautions against inhaling smoke.
The NZ$703-million ($452-million) SkyCity Convention Centre, which sits on a 1.4-hectare (3.5-acre) site, with a floor space of 32,500 sq m (349,827 sq ft), is considered to be New Zealand’s biggest building project.
Owned by New Zealand casino operator SkyCity Entertainment Group, the project has been plagued by delays.
The country’s largest builder, Fletcher Building Ltd , is building the center. Shares of SkyCity were down four percent at NZ$3.82 on the New Zealand exchange after the fire reports.
source:Reuters
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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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