ANTANANARIVO: Police in Madagascar on Wednesday said villagers had found the remains of a British student who apparently jumped from a plane after opening the aircraft door in mid-air.
Nineteen-year-old Cambridge University student Alana Cutland, who was on a research trip, fell from a light aircraft shortly after it took off from an airport in remote northwestern Madagascar.
Her body was found on Tuesday in the Mahadrodroka forest, police said.
“Villagers have finally found Alana Cutland’s body after a fortnight of searching,” chief investigator Spinola Edvin Nomenjanahary said.
Police said she apparently jumped from the plane just a few minutes after it took off from a small airport at Anjajavy on a flight to the capital Antananarivo on July 25.
The pilot and another passenger, named as Ruth Johnson, say they tried in vain to stop her, investigators report.
Anjajavy villagers launched a search for her body the day after the incident.
On Monday they performed a ritual called “joro” that involved the sacrificial slaughter of a prized zebu cow to seek help from a Malagasy god named Zanahary.
They located Cutland’s remains the following day, Edvin Nomenjanahary said.
Police provided pictures to the media of a coffin being taken off a helicopter at an airport in the port city of MaHajjanga. It will be transported to the capital Antananarivo on Thursday.
According to investigators, Cutland had displayed erratic behavior before the incident.
The natural sciences student was supposed to have stayed 45 days in Anjajavy to study crabs but quit after 10 days.
In a statement issued through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the family described her as “a bright, independent young woman.”
“She was particularly excited to be embarking on the next stage of her education, on an internship in Madagascar complementing her studies in natural sciences.”
“Her thirst for discovering more of the world always ensured she made the most of every second of her action-packed young life.”
Madagascar says remains of UK student who fell from plane now found
Madagascar says remains of UK student who fell from plane now found
- Police said she apparently jumped from the plane just a few minutes after it took off from a small airport at Anjajavy on a flight to the capital Antananarivo
- The pilot and another passenger, named as Ruth Johnson, say they tried in vain to stop her
Indonesia’s new state mosque to hold first Eid prayers this year
- Mosque is located in Nusantara Capital City on Borneo island, a $32bn project set for 2045 completion
- Famous sculptor Nyoman Nuarta designed mosque, other government structures in new capital
JAKARTA: The state mosque in Indonesia’s planned new capital city, Nusantara, will hold its inaugural Eid Al-Fitr prayer this year, as the $62 million facility opens for its first run of Ramadan programs.
The Indonesian government has plans to relocate the capital to Borneo island to replace the overcrowded and sinking Jakarta on Java island, with the $32 billion megaproject scheduled for completion in 2045.
With a capacity of about 60,000 people, the mosque in East Kalimantan opened to the public last month, at the beginning of Ramadan.
“This mosque symbolizes that we are building the Nusantara Capital City with careful attention to spiritual, social and environmental aspects,” Troy Pantouw, spokesperson for the Nusantara Capital City Authority — the agency overseeing the new capital city — told Arab News on Saturday.
“We will hold Eid Al-Fitr prayers here and we are hoping that it would mark a historic momentum of unity here at Nusantara Capital City.”
Locally known as Masjid Negara, construction of the state mosque began in 2024. Its design was spearheaded by Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta at the request of former President Joko Widodo.
Nuarta is one of Indonesia’s most famous visual artists and creator of the country’s tallest statue, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, located in Bali.
The 72-year-old is also the designer behind other main structures in Nusantara, including the new state palace.
This Ramadan marked many firsts for Masjid Negara, including its first taraweeh on Feb. 18, which was attended by thousands of worshippers in East Kalimantan.
In the same complex where the state mosque is located, the government has plans to build Christian churches, and Buddhist, Hindu and Confucian temples.
Indonesia, home to the world’s largest population of Muslims, officially recognizes Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism as religions.
“A church is now being built in the complex, and in the future there will also be houses of worship belonging to other religions. This reflects Nusantara’s values of harmony and respect,” Pantouw said.
“From the start, this area was designed to represent inter-religious harmony. We want the Nusantara Capital City to stand as a concrete example of how physical developments can be parallel to efforts to build tolerance in society.”
