British architect and his heavily pregnant girlfriend shot dead in Kenyan mall massacre were weeks away from having their first child

Ross Langdon, an Australian London-based architect, and his heavily pregnant partner Elif Yavuz were gunned down

A British architect shot dead in the Kenyan mall massacre along with his partner were just weeks away from having their first child.

Ross Langdon, who had dual Australian nationality, and his heavily pregnant partner Elif Yavuz were gunned down by terrorists who stormed the Nairobi shopping centre yesterday.

According to the Foreign Office four Britons are among the 69 people slaughtered by the terrorists believed to be from Somali Islamist group Al Shabaab.

Mr Langdon, 33, had been involved with a number of projects across Africa, which included designing an HIV-Aids hospital in Kenya free of charge.

The London-based architect could be seen photographed with Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, in a picture posted on his Facebook profile earlier this year.

Harvard graduate Ms Yavuz was eight-and-a-half months pregnant at the time of her death.

The malaria specialist was working in Kenya for the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation run by the billionaire Microsoft founder.

On her Facebook profile she was photographer shaking hands with former US President Bill Clinton during a visit to a Gates Foundation project last month.

Born in Holland, Ms Yavuz had lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while studying at the renowned Harvard University.

Today the architectural practice where he worked as a director said in a statement: 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss our friend and colleague Ross Langdon and his partner Elif Yavuz.

'Profoundly talented and full of life, Ross enriched the lives of all those around him.

'Ross's leadership on projects throughout East-Africa was inspirational.

'Ross was living his dream, greatly contributing to the lives of people within highly disadvantaged communities and supporting habitat conservation for some of the world's most threatened species.

'Ross will be very, very sorely missed. Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with Ross and Elif's families at this very difficult time.'

Today tributes were paid to the couple via social media.

One friend, Arah Nekoei, wrote: 'We will miss you, Elif Yavuz, Ross Langdon and the one that we never got to know.'

Islamic terrorists who have been barricaded in a Kenyan shopping mall today threatened to kill all their remaining hostages as special forces moved in to end the two day siege which has left 69 dead.

Witnesses said they heard this morning multiple large explosions within the vast Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi and there were reports of gunfire in the streets outside.

Thick black smoke was then seen billowing from the mall.

The Foreign Office confirmed today that four Britons have now been killed in the atrocity.

Kenyan troops have moved in to end the siege but spokesman for terror group Al Shabaab Ali Mohamud Rage said in a statement posted on an Islamist website that those held inside will 'bear the brunt of any force' used by soldiers against the militants.

The statement read: 'We authorise the mujahedeen inside the building to take actions against the prisoners as much as they are pressed.

'We are telling Christians advancing onto the mujahedeen to have mercy for their prisoners who will bear the brunt of any force directed against the mujahedeen.'

The Al-Qaeda linked group claimed to be in contact with the fighters inside the mall and said the gunmen were battling both Kenyan and Israeli forces.

 
Source-Daily Mail