Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his nine-year-old son were killed while hiking in the Blue Mountains
A high-flying British executive has been identified as the victim of a freak landslide alongside his youngest son while on holiday in Australia.
Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his nine-year-old son were killed while hiking in the Blue Mountains on Monday afternoon following weeks of heavy rains and flooding.
The pair are survived by Mr Nazir’s wife Anastasia, 40, 14-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter, who has been described as a ‘hero’ for raising the alarm and contacting authorities after the rockslide.
It’s understood the two teenagers have been reunited with their godmother while their mother Anastasia remains in a critical condition in hospital.
The family were on a trip of a lifetime to Sydney from their home base in Singapore, where Mr Nazir worked as a finance lawyer specialising in international transactions. They moved from London more than 10 years ago.
Some relatives have already arrived in Sydney while others are still making the trip. They’re receiving consular assistance.
The family are part of the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world’s oldest faiths which is based in Iran and follows the teachings of the ancient prophet Zoroaster.
A member of the religious community said they’re mourning such a ‘tragic loss’.
‘While we all still come to terms with this immense tragedy, the outpour and generosity of our community is very heart-warming,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘The surviving children have been united with their Godmother which is very comforting.’
The tiny Zoroastrian religious community in Sydney are in mourning after the deaths of a father and son during a freak landslide
‘The community always rallies around to help each other,’ a spokesman from the Australian Zoroastrian Association said.
‘It’s a case of strangers helping strangers.’
Ana Nazir (pictured) remains in a critical condition in hospital
The group helped to communicate with Mr Nazir’s next of kin after word spread of his death.
‘There is much grief among both the London and Sydney Zoroastrian community for this family tragedy,’ another said.
British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell issued a statement early on Wednesday confirming she is assisting the family.
‘My team are providing support & in contact with the local authorities,’ she said.
According to the last census results, there are just 3,000 people who identify as Zoroastrian in Australia.
The family’s 15-year-old daughter escaped the landslide physically unscathed and raised the alarm in a frantic call to emergency services at around 1.30pm.
It’s understood the distraught teen told the operator: ‘I don’t know where we are’.
Mr Nazir, a partner at Watson Farley & Williams, Singapore, is pictured speaking at a legal conference in 2019
The Nazir family had lived in Singapore for more than a decade after migrating from England
Relatives have flown to Sydney to be with the kids while Mrs Nazir fights for life in hospital
Paramedics were winched from a rescue helicopter down the cliff face as they searched for anyone who had been taken by moving debris
Police rescue crews returned to the scene on Tuesday morning to recover the bodies of the father and his young son killed by a landslip
She walked from the scene with the help of emergency crews, which involved trekking for an hour-and-a-half along the hiking track.
The family were permitted to use the advanced Wentworth Pass track, famous for its stunning waterfall views and valley lookouts, despite weeks of wild weather making the area dangerous for hikers.
NSW National Parks confirmed the 5km loop was inspected days before the landslide as part of a routine assessment program.
The Wentworth Pass track is considered as having a grade four difficulty under NSW National Park and Wildlife Service guidelines, which recommends only experienced bushwalkers use it.
A day trip to the Blue Mountains ended in tragedy for a British family after a man and his nine-year-old son were killed by a freak landslide (pictured, emergency crews making the trek)
Authorities are still working to determine whether the landslide fell on the group while they were walking along a bush track, or if they were trekking along the cliff face that fell.
‘In terms of the site, it’s extremely dangerous and unstable,’ NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent John Nelson said.
Police crews returned to the scene early on Tuesday morning to recover the bodies of the man and boy.
The retrieval of the bodies was a planned and delicate operation due to the nature of the terrain at the site.
The tracks in the Wentworth Falls precinct of the park have been closed indefinitely.
The rescue operation also involved local police, Police Rescue, Fire and Rescue NSW, National Parks & Wildlife Services, Blue Mountains detectives, and PolAir and rescue helicopters
Local environmentalist and former director for the Colong Foundation for Wilderness, Keith Muir, said the closure of the entire park is an ‘overreaction’.
The closure is related to significant rain forecast for the rest of the week. Monday’s landslide came after a week of torrential rainfall.
‘This is an overreaction to a very sad event,’ Mr Muir said. ‘Equivalent to closure of ocean beaches after a fatal shark attack.’
Mr Muir said the event was very sad, but noted the tragedy was rare.
‘It’s a very sad event but it’s a very rare event and needs a nuanced approach rather than a shutdown of any at risk walking track,’ he told the Blue Mountains Gazette.
‘The Parks service and the council can’t protect the public from every single tree or every single rock in the park, it’s just impossible.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10690741/PICTURED-Father-killed-Blue-Mountains-landslide-alongside-son-holiday-Singapore.html
