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Deadly south London tram crash deemed to have been accident

According to the AP, families of people killed in a tram crash in south London five years ago have demanded a new inquest into the deaths after a jury concluded Thursday that the passengers were not unlawfully killed.
Seven people died and another 51 were injured when the tram derailed and overturned at a bend near Sandilands tram stop while on a Nov. 9 2016 morning commute run.
The tram was traveling at 73 kilometers per hour (45 miles per hour), more than three times the 20 kph speed limit when it spun off the tracks.
The inquest was told that driver, Alfred Dorris, may have slipped into a period of “microsleep” — falling asleep for a few seconds — on the stretch of track where the tram derailed.
On its 10th day of deliberations at Croydon Town Hall, the 10-person inquest jury reached a unanimous conclusion that the deaths were an accident.
“It’s not an accident,” said Danielle Wynne, whose grandfather, 52-year-old Philip Logan, died in the crash. “Someone is to blame.”
Ben Posford of law firm Osbornes Law, who was representing the families of five of the seven victims, said his clients were “understandably angry and upset” at the ruling. He said the families be calling on Attorney General Michael Ellis to apply to the High Court for a new inquest.
“Justice has been suffocated, and instead of providing long awaited answers, the families have been put through more agony,” he said.
It was not immediately clear whether the families of the other two victims would also pursue an appeal.
The victims’ families were especially vexed by the decision of senior coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe to refuse to call a number of people about alleged safety failings, including the driver himself who was excused from attending the inquest due to poor health.
Senior managers of the operator of the service, Tram Operations Ltd., or TOL, and Transport for London, which oversees transport in the capital, also did not give evidence.
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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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