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.

Among those killed was a woman who had arrived in New Zealand only a few months ago to join her husband. They had married earlier this year. The man had lived in New Zealand for about seven years and ran his own business.

The three, aged 29, 33 and 38, were from Punjab and had been living together in Auckland. Their families had been told of their deaths, and community leaders were working with relatives to arrange for their return.

Singh described the deaths as “a huge tragedy for the community”. He said the families were in shock and still had questions about how the crash happened.

“They don’t have family here in New Zealand, but they have a wider family of friends,” he said.

Singh said the three had left Diwali celebrations at a Manurewa gurdwara minutes before the crash. Friends grew worried the next morning when the driver did not turn up for work.

The crash happened at about 10.15pm, while BurgerFuel staff were cleaning up after closing. The car reportedly went through a fence and smashed through a restaurant window. Police said all three people in the car died at the scene and no one inside the restaurant was injured.

A witness said he was waiting at nearby traffic lights when a car sped past. He estimated it was travelling at more than 100km/h. He did not see the collision.

Three fire crews responded alongside police and ambulance staff, and the road was closed for several hours. The Serious Crash Unit is investigating, and police said formal identification was under way and could take some time.