A British lawyer and his son were in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ when they were killed by a freak landslide in Australia, a tour guide said last night.
Mehraab Nazir, 49, died with his nine-year-old son as their family hiked along a ‘challenging’ narrow cliffside path in the Blue Mountains, near Sydney.
Mr Nazir’s wife Anastasia, 40, was fighting for life in hospital last night as the couple’s other son, 14, recovered after leaving intensive care.
The Nazirs’ ‘heroic’ daughter, 15, escaped injury in the landslide and raised the alarm.
After moving to Singapore from London, Mr Nazir became a partner in an international law firm. His family was also based there.
They were in Australia for a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ before tragedy struck on Monday afternoon.
Ana Nazir, Ana Nazir and Mehraab were hit by an accidental landslide in Blue Mountains.
This is the entrance to the walking track that the Nazir family was hiking. Tour guide claimed they were at the wrong place at the wrong moment.
Graham Chapman, the tour guide in Blue Mountains said the recent rains had increased the danger of landslides. The area is known for its beautiful forests and waterfalls. He wept when he learned of the tragedy, saying: ‘This beautiful family from England were just in the wrong place at the wrong time – it’s so sad. Maybe if they were another 50 metres either side or delayed during the day, this wouldn’t have happened.’
After being checked by authorities days before, the Wentworth Pass path, which was taken by the family’s children, was deemed safe. The three-mile loop is described by park chiefs as ‘challenging’ and includes ‘waterfalls and valley views as well as magnificent forests and dense rainforest’.
Mr Chapman said: ‘I’ve seen so many landslides I couldn’t tell you how many. Here in the mountains, it can change in the blink of an eye and sadly for the English family, that’s exactly what happened the other day.’
The family was located by rescuers using the information provided over the phone. For her heroic composure, she was celebrated
Blue Mountain rescuers help injured families get off the mountainside
He said Australia had only just reopened its borders after the Covid pandemic ‘and to know that family has come to our country and that this has happened on our soil… it’s just heartbreaking.’
Early reports stated that the cliffside path was created by weeks of heavy rain, which caused rocks and trees to fall.
However, investigators cannot rule out the possibility of danger from up above. One theory is that the danger may have come from above, with a huge rock ledge breaking away and thundering down on the family.
Her surviving son, and Mrs Nazir were both rescued by emergency personnel after she and her daughter phoned 911 to report that her child had not been injured. An ambulance official said she showed ‘heroic’ composure to guide rescuers to their location.
Helicopters were used to fly her injured brother and mother from the region. On Tuesday, her father and brother died.
After graduating from Exeter University, Mr. Nazir worked for Watson Farley and Williams as a partner. The firm has its London headquarters. The firm said yesterday: ‘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.’
Mr Nazir had won plaudits from legal directories with Chambers reporting ‘there has never been a situation where he couldn’t find a solution’.
They are Zoroastrian members.