The British lawyer was named as the father who was killed along with his son after his family was arrested in a fatal landslide while on vacation in Australia. Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his nine-year-old son were killed when they were hit by falling rocks while hiking on a popular hiking trail in Wentworth Falls on Monday. His wife, Ana, is in critical condition in hospital. Their 14-year-old son has undergone surgery and is in stable condition, while their 15-year-old daughter remains under observation, police announced. The teenager was called a “hero” after she managed to warn the authorities about the landslide of horror before making a terrifying 90-minute hike to safety. Understandably, the troubled teenager told an emergency pilot: “I do not know where we are.”
READ MORE
The family moved to Singapore from London 10 years ago, where Mr. Nazir became a partner at leading consulting firm Watson Farley and Williams. The company told him he was a “dear friend and colleague” adding that he would be “remembered and honored”. The graduate of the University of Exeter was recognized for his “strong experience” by the Asia Pacific Legal 500 in 2013. A member of the Zoroastrian community – to which the Nazir family belonged – told the Daily Mail Australia that they were sinking into mourning. “While we all continue to come to terms with this huge tragedy, the outrage and generosity of our community is very moving,” said one spokeswoman. “The surviving children have been reunited with their godmother, which is very comforting.” Police at the scene of the tragedy / via REUTERS New South Wales Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet called the incident “tragic” and said he would seek advice on whether hiking should be open due to the recent heavy rain. “These tragedies happen very often, so whatever we can do to keep people safe, we will do it,” Mr Perrottet told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday. “Obviously, the Blue Mountains are a place where people love to hike. “It’s one of the wonders of the world, but when these tragedies happen, it’s a failure for any government to act.” Following the removal of the bodies, the New South Wales Department of the Environment and Cultural Heritage announced that the area was closed to the public until further notice and that a “comprehensive review” would be carried out. “(New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) has established a world-class program to assess geotechnical hazards and maintain the safety of sidewalks and other infrastructure as much as possible,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict and eliminate all natural hazards, such as landslides, that may occur occasionally around the state.” A 49-year-old man and his nine-year-old son died in the Blue Mountains (Lauren Turner / PA) / PA Archive The Department added that the sidewalk was inspected in the days before the landslide as part of a routine assessment program. A UNHCR spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple and their children following an incident in the Blue Mountains. “Our staff in Australia are in contact with the local police.”
