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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Danya Bazaraa

Brit dad killed alongside son in Australia landslide pictured as wife fights for life

A British dad killed alongside his nine-year-old son in a freak landslide in Australia has been pictured for the first time.

Finance lawyer Mehraab Nazir, 49, and his son died while on 'the holiday of a lifetime' hiking in the Blue Mountains on Monday afternoon.

Mr Nazir's wife Anastasia, 40, remains in a critical condition in hospital while their other children - a 14-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter are said to now be with their godmother, according to media in Australia.

The 14-year-old underwent surgery and is in a stable condition while his sister remains under observation, police said.

Emergency services raced to the scene at about 1.40pm local time on Monday following reports a landslide had fallen onto a group of bushwalkers on the Wentworth Pass track at Wentworth Falls near Sydney.

Finance lawyer Mehraab Nazir was killed in a landslide alongside his young son (Watson Farley & Williams)
Anastasia, 40, remains in a critical condition (Sarah Powell Yoga)

The family, on holiday from the UK, were caught in the landslide in the Blue Mountains, 100 miles west of Sydney.

The dad and youngest son died at the scene. Their bodies were recovered around 9.30am on Tuesday.

The mum, 50, and the other son, 14, were in hospital with critical injuries.

The taped off entrance to the walking track (DEAN LEWINS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The couple's 15-year-old daughter miraculously walked away unharmed and was being treated for shock.

The family were found about a 90-minute walk from the nearest car park, authorities said.

Police helicopters, local officers and a specialist rescue team were sent to the remote location in dense bushland.

New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet said he would be seeking advice as to whether the walking track should have been open given recent heavy rain (DEAN LEWINS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

A rescue helicopter saved the mother and son at about 6pm, authorities said.

NSW Ambulance Superintendent Stewart Clarke previously said: "The patients have significant head and abdominal injuries, requiring sedation and intubation prior to them being extricated."

He described the terrain as an “extremely dangerous, extremely unstable environment” for paramedics to work in.

Police officers near the scene (DEAN LEWINS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

He said: "[It is] exceptionally confronting and heartbreaking, especially when you start involving children."

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 as part of a routine track assessment program.

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."

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