BurgerFuel crash victims honoured in dawn ceremony

Members of the Indian community gathered in South Auckland at daybreak on Monday to commemorate three people who died in a car crash at a BurgerFuel outlet more than a week earlier.

The sound of a karakia filled the early morning air as Matua Ted Ngataki led a blessing at the crash site on Great South Road in Takanini.

The ceremony brought members of the Māori and Indian communities together to remember Sukhdeep Singh, his wife, Sukhvir Kaur, and their brother-in-law, Gurpreet Singh.

The trio died in the crash after returning from Diwali celebrations on 8 November.

Local MP Emma Chatterton, Manurewa-Papakura Ward councillors Daniel Newman and Matt Winiata, and police representatives were also among those attending.

Ngataki said the karakia was a Māori tradition intended to help clear the wairua, or spiritual presence, and bring comfort and healing to the community.

He said the ceremony was also an opportunity to show solidarity with the Punjabi and Sikh communities.

"We're trying to give them the support as a people in their culture ... to be a part of our Aotearoa community,” he said. “So, we're all one people.”

Daljit Singh, president of the Supreme Sikh Society, said the crash had deeply shocked the Punjabi community.

He said he continued to receive calls from the victims' families in India, who were desperate to know when their loved ones' bodies would be released by police and returned home.

"They are not actually coping yet," Singh said.

"They keep asking why they're not receiving the bodies, and we don't have the answer yet."

Singh said a Sikh preacher had also joined the karakia to offer prayers and blessings in a show of unity and solidarity with the victims' families.

Navjot Kaur, a close friend of the victims, attended Monday morning's ceremony to pay tribute to her friends.

Kaur grew up in the same village in India as Gurpreet Singh, while Sukhdeep Singh came from a nearby village.

Kaur described the victims as being like family to her.

"All of them were very happy souls, " she said.

Kaur said she was devastated by her friends' deaths and upset by online speculation suggesting the victims had been intoxicated at the time of the crash.

"We know the family personally, and they were very religious,” she said.

“They were going to the gurdwara every day, they were praying every day.

"It is a big loss to the whole community and a big shock for everyone."

Kaur said attending the karakia organised by local iwi was deeply meaningful to her, the victims' families and the wider Indian community.

"The Māori community has played a huge part in our community from the beginning," she said.

"They [have] always respected our culture, and I really respect and appreciate them for coming so early and doing this for our community.

"It just helps our community. The bonds get stronger as well."

The fatal crash happened on 8 November when a car crashed into a building and tore through a BurgerFuel restaurant on Great South Road, killing all three.

RNZ understands the vehicle is believed to have been travelling at more than 150 km/h.

A local resident told RNZ the stretch of Great South Road where the crash occurred was a hotspot for street racing.

Newman said he had long been concerned about speeding and dangerous driving in the area but did not want to draw conclusions about safety at the intersection while the police investigation was ongoing.

"I think this was an absolute tragedy and we need to get more information from the police," he said. "Obviously they haven't yet released the bodies of the deceased."

Newman said the immediate priority was supporting those affected by the tragedy, alongside reviewing whether enough had been done to improve road safety along the Takanini corridor.

A police spokesperson said formal identification processes were still ongoing, and the deceased would be released to the families once those processes were completed.

The spokesperson said the enquiries into the crash were continuing.

A Givealittle fundraising page set up to help cover the cost of repatriating the victims' bodies to India and support their families has raised almost $40,000.