Tributes paid to British lawyer killed alongside nine-year-old son in Australian landslide

Mother, 50, continues to fight for life in hospital while 14-year-old boy in stable condition and 15-year-old girl under observation

A British lawyer killed in a landslide with his young son while holidaying in Australia has been named, as his wife continues to fight for life in hospital.

Mehraab Nazir, 49, his wife and their three children were caught in the landslip while hiking in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, on Monday afternoon.

The father and his nine-year-old son died at the scene and their bodies were eventually recovered on Tuesday morning.

Mr Nazir’s wife remains in a critical condition in intensive care, while his 14-year-old son is in a stable condition after undergoing surgery.

Their 15-year-old daughter, who escaped the landslide and managed to raise the alarm, remains in hospital under observation.

The father worked as a finance lawyer for Watson Farley & Williams in the company’s Singapore office after reportedly relocating with his family from London.

Paying tribute, the company said: “It is with the greatest sadness that we must confirm 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.”

Australia's Blue Mountains in New South Wales (Alana Calvert/PA)

The Foreign Office confirmed it was “providing consular support to the family of a British couple and their children following an incident in Australia” and that it was in contact with local authorities.

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,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“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.”

The entrance to the walking track at Wentworth Falls has been sealed off while a review takes place (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)

Following the removal of the bodies, the New South Wales Department of Environment and Heritage announced 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,” it said in a statement.

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

The department said the walking track was inspected in the days before the rockslide as part of a routine track assessment program.