A British father and son have been killed in a landslide in Australia, with two other family members left fighting for their lives.
The tragic incident took place in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, with a 49-year-old man and a nine-year-old boy declared dead at the scene.
A 50-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy were winched from the location in critical condition, according to New South Wales Police.
The last member of the family, a 15-year-old girl, was walked back by emergency services - an hour-and-a-half trek from the scene - and has been taken to a children’s hospital. The young girl, who escaped the landslide, reportedly raised the alarm in call to the emergency services at around 1:30pm, Mail Online reported.
The distraught teenager allegedly told the operator: “I don’t know where we are.” The family were holidaying in Australia and had gone walking in the mountains.
The 15-year-old girl was “extremely distressed” following the incident, the authorities said. “We’ve focused on caring for her while the best medical care is given to her mum and brother and just trying to get that support for the 15-year-old,” said Supt John Nelson from New South Wales Police.
At around 1.40pm local time on Monday, emergency services were called to Wentworth Pass, Wentworth Falls, after “reports of a concern for welfare for five bushwalkers”, police said in a statement.
The bodies of the British father and his 9-year-old son have now been recovered, police confirmed on Tuesday.
New South Wales premier Dominic Perrottet called the incident “tragic” and said he will be investigating whether the walking track should have been open at the time.
He told the Australian Broadcasting Corportation: “These tragedies occur too often so anything we can do to keep people safe, we will.
“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.”
Police said on Monday: “Despite efforts by emergency services, two people – a 49-year-old man and a nine-year-old boy – died at the scene.
“Just before 6pm, a 50-year-old woman and second boy – aged 14 – were winched from the location and taken to Westmead Hospital and the children’s hospital at Westmead, both in critical conditions.”
Det Supt John Nelson, from the Blue Mountains area command, told reporters: “It’s quite a tragic scene. We do have a girl who is walking out at the moment and is clearly extremely distressed.”
NSW Ambulance Acting Ch Supt Stewart Clarke said that the area the family had been walking in was extremely dangerous and unstable.
He added: “This was a really complex and delicate rescue operation for our crews who were working to access patients in rugged bushland and were navigating unstable ground.”
“This is absolutely heartbreaking for all involved and a truly tragic ending to what I’m sure was meant to be a pleasant day out,” he said.
“It is terribly sad to have lost two lives here today and my heart goes out to the families and the survivors of this horrific ordeal who have witnessed what is certainly a traumatic event.”
Paramedics reportedly said that the injured hikers had suffered head and abdominal injuries.
