A law firm has paid tribute to one of its lawyers who died in a landslide in Australia. Mehraab Nazir was killed along with his nine-year-old son in the disaster at the Blue Mountains National Park, west of Sydney, on Monday.
Law firm Watson Farley & Williams, which Mr Nazir worked for, 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.”
Earlier today, a British mother remained in a critical condition in an intensive care unit after her family was caught in a deadly landslide while holidaying in Australia.
A 14-year-old boy has undergone surgery and is in a stable condition, while a 15-year-old girl remains under observation, police said. The family, on holiday from the UK, were caught in the landslide in the Blue Mountains, 100 miles west of Sydney, on Monday.
The 50-year-old father, Mehraab Nazir, and a nine-year-old son died at the scene. Their bodies were recovered around 9.30am on Tuesday. 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.”
