A British lawyer killed with his nine-year-old son in a landslip while on holiday in Australia has been named as Mehraab Nazir.
Mr Nazir, 49, had been on a hike with his family in the Wentworth Pass area of the Blue Mountains, a national park west of Sydney in NSW on Monday when the incident happened.
His body and his son body were recovered on Tuesday.
Mr Nazir was a partner at law firm Watson Farley & Williams and was based in its Singapore office.
“It is with the greatest sadness that we must confirm that our dear friend and colleague Mehraab Nazir, a partner in our Singapore office, tragically lost his life in a landslide in Australia earlier this week alongside his young son,” the company said in a statement.
“We will be remembering and honouring Mehraab, however, with the surviving members of the family in serious conditions or in shock, we ask that you respect their privacy and grief at this incredibly difficult time.”
The University of Exeter, where Mr Nazir studied, said it was shocked by his death.
“We are extremely sorry to hear about this tragedy and send our condolences to Mr Nazir’s family, friends and colleagues,” a spokesman said.
Mr Nazir’s wife remains in a critical condition in an intensive care unit in a Sydney hospital, while another son, aged 14, has undergone surgery and is in a stable condition.
Mr Nazir’s 15-year-old daughter walked from the scene and remains under observation in hospital.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is seeking advice as to whether the walking track should have been open given recent heavy rain in area.
“These tragedies occur too often so anything we can do to keep people safe, we will,” he told the ABC on Tuesday.
“Obviously, the Blue Mountains is a place where people love to go trekking. It’s one of the wonders of the world but when those tragedies occur it would be remiss of any government not to act.”
Following the removal of the bodies, the NSW Department of Environment and Heritage announced that the area was closed to the public until further notice and a “comprehensive review” would be undertaken.
The department said it had a program to assess geotechnical risks and maintain the safety of walking tracks.
“Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict and eliminate all natural risks such as rockslides, which can occasionally occur around the state,” it said in a statement.
The department added that the walking track was inspected in the days before the landslip.
“We are supporting the family of a British couple and their children following an incident in the Blue Mountains,” a British High Commission spokesperson said.
“Our staff in Australia are in contact with local police.”
AAP
