Father and son killed in Blue Mountains tragedy were on holiday from Singapore

The 49-year-old victim of a landslide at Wentworth Falls has been identified as a finance lawyer based in Singapore, killed tragically alongside his nine-year-old son.

A high-ranking finance lawyer based in Singapore was on the holiday of a lifetime with his family when he and his son were tragically killed in a landslide in the Blue Mountains.

Mehraab Nazir, 49, was killed alongside his nine-year-old son when rocks suddenly fell down and crushed the pair as they hiked the popular Wentworth Falls track northwest of Sydney about 1.40pm on Monday.

Mr Nazir’s wife Anastasia, 50, and another son, 14, were injured in the landslide and remain in hospital in a critical condition.

Their teenage daughter miraculously escaped the tragedy unharmed. Relatives have begun touching down in Sydney to care for her.

The Nazir family were in Australia on holiday from Singapore, where they moved to from London more than a decade ago for Mr Nazir to become a partner at top advisory firm Watson Farley and Williams.

Singapore-based finance lawyer Mehraab Nazir was killed in Monday’s tragic landslide in the Blue Mountains, alongside his son.

The dense bushland meant it took until Tuesday for NSW Police to be able to retrieve the bodies of Mr Nazir and his son. Picture: John Grainger

It is understood some relatives have arrived in Sydney, with more to touchdown in the coming days.

One person who knew the family posted in a Sydney-based Facebook page for Australian Zoroastrian Association that, “the surviving children have been united with their Godmother which is very comforting”.

“While we all still come to terms with this immense tragedy, the outpouring and generosity of our community is very heart-warming.

“A number of you have reached out to the AZA Management Committee offering to help and we thank you for the same. The family have been made aware of your generosity and readiness to help.”

The Wentworth Falls walking track where the tragedy occurred was closed off in the wake of the landslide. Picture: John Grainger

Mr Nazir established himself in London after studying at the University of Essex, before moving overseas to Singapore where he was recognised by the Asia Pacific Legal 500.

His shattered colleagues in the Watson Farley and Williams office where he worked confirmed he had been in Sydney on holiday, but the company would not comment on the tragedy that had unfolded.

In an article shortly after his move to Singapore, Mr Nazir told of his excitement at moving to Asia.

“It is a great opportunity for me to join WFW Singapore’s project and structured finance team and being involved in the continued development of the practice,” he told Global Trade Review.

“I look forward to working with my new colleagues … and contributing to the growth of the firm’s business in Asia.”

The landslide that killed Mr Nazir and his son, and injured his wife and eldest son, is believed to have been caused by weeks of intense rainfall throughout the Blue Mountains.

The Nazir family had been in Australia on holiday from Singapore. Picture: John Grainger

It happened right in front of Mr Nazir’s teenage daughter, who miraculously avoided being caught up in the tragedy.

She called Triple-0 to raise the alarm, but in shock and in an unfamiliar part of the world, told the operator: “I don’t know where we are”.

The dense bushland and unstable nature of the Wentworth Falls area meant the father and son’s bodies could not be removed until first light on Tuesday.

Many walking tracks throughout the Blue Mountains have now been closed by the National Parks Authority and local councils, with an investigation also underway.