A newlywed Punjabi couple and their brother-in-law have been identified as the three people killed after their car crashed into a BurgerFuel restaurant in Takanini, south Auckland, on Diwali night.
The victims were Sukhdeep Singh, 33, his wife Sukhvir Kaur, 29, and Gurpreet Singh, 38. Community leader Daljit Singh confirmed their identities and family backgrounds in an interview with The Indian Weekender.
All three were originally from Punjab, India.
Sukhdeep came from Goniana Khurd in Bathinda district and had lived in New Zealand for more than seven years, where he operated an NZ Post courier business. His wife, Sukhvir, was from Rauke Kalan in Moga district.
Gurpreet, a relative of the couple and their brother-in-law, came from Har Rai Pur in Bathinda district. He had been living in New Zealand for about three years and worked as an NZ Post courier van driver.
The crash occurred at about 10.15pm on Sunday, 8 November, on Great South Road in Takanini. The vehicle reportedly left the road and struck the BurgerFuel restaurant after the three had been returning from a Sikh temple.
New Zealand Police confirmed that all three occupants died at the scene. No one inside the restaurant was injured. The Serious Crash Unit attended, and an investigation into the circumstances of the crash is continuing.
The deaths have devastated the families in Punjab and the wider Punjabi community in New Zealand, with friends and community representatives now working to bring the three victims home for their final rites.
Singh said the families wanted the bodies repatriated to India. The release of the bodies was tentatively expected on Friday, 13 November, subject to the completion of formalities.
Provisional arrangements shared by Singh include washing and prayers on Monday, followed by an Ardas at South Auckland Funeral Services. The return of the bodies to India is tentatively planned for Tuesday, 17 November. These dates may change depending on the completion of the required processes.
Meanwhile, friends and community members have launched a fundraising appeal to help meet the costs of repatriation and provide financial support to the grieving families.
The Givealittle campaign, organised by Mandeep Singh Brar and a group of friends, says donations will help cover embalming, documentation, legal formalities, coffins, transportation and international repatriation expenses.
The organisers have appealed to people in New Zealand and overseas to contribute or share the fundraising page to help ease the financial burden on the families.
Donations can be made through the Givealittle appeal.
The Supreme Sikh Society and Central Sikh Association had earlier expressed condolences to the families and friends, describing the incident as deeply heartbreaking for the community. They said the community would be asked to assist following the police investigation.
As arrangements continue, members of Auckland’s Punjabi community are rallying around the families as they come to terms with the loss of three loved ones.
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