British father killed in landslide while hiking in Australia named

A British lawyer killed along with his nine-year-old son in a landslide 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, on Monday when they were caught in the rockslide.

His and his son’s bodies were recovered the following morning.

Mr Nazir was a partner at law firm Watson Farley & Williams and was based in its Singapore office.

The company said in a statement: “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.

“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.”

Mr Nazir’s wife remains in a critical condition in an intensive care unit, 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.

New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet called the incident “tragic” and said he would be seeking advice as to whether the walking track should have been open given recent heavy rain.

“These tragedies occur too often so anything we can do to keep people safe, we will,” Mr Perrottet told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation 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 New South Wales Department of Environment and Heritage announced that the area was closed to the public until further notice and a “comprehensive review” would be undertaken.

“(New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) has a world class program in place to assess geotechnical risks and maintain the safety of walking tracks and other infrastructure to the greatest extent practicable,” the statement said.

“Unfortunately it is not possible to predict and eliminate all natural risks such as rockslides, which can occasionally occur around the state.”

The Department added that the walking track was inspected in the days before the rockslide.

A British High Commission spokesperson 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 local police.”