Sukhvir Kaur had been in New Zealand for about six months when she and her husband, Sukhdeep Singh, were killed on their way home from Diwali celebrations in South Auckland. Their brother-in-law, Gurpreet Singh, died alongside them.

The Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand named the three members of the Punjabi family. Kaur was 29, Sukhdeep Singh was 33 and Gurpreet Singh was 38.

Sukhdeep had lived in New Zealand for more than seven years and ran an NZ Post courier operation, the society said. Gurpreet had lived here for three years and drove an NZ Post courier van. The couple had married about six months before the crash, Sikh community leader Daljit Singh told the New Zealand Herald.

The three were returning from a gurdwara in Manurewa on Sunday when their car struck the BurgerFuel restaurant in Takanini at about 10.15pm. All three died at the scene. The restaurant was closed at the time.

Daljit Singh said relatives had spoken to the three earlier during Diwali and were struggling to understand what had happened. The families have asked for their bodies to be returned to India once police complete formal identification.

Auckland’s Sikh community is planning a Givealittle fundraiser to help bring home three people who died when their car crashed into a BurgerFuel restaurant in Takanini on Sunday night.

Daljit Singh, president of the Central Sikh Association, said it could cost up to $50,000 to return all three bodies to India.