New Zealand / Regional

Muriwai beach crash victims named

18:21 pm on 14 September 2015

Police have released the names of four men killed when their four-wheel drive vehicle flipped and rolled as it sped along Muriwai Beach, west of Auckland yesterday evening.

Victims of the Muriwai crash Haris Jafri, Imad Dib and Dilpreet Singh. Photo: Queens Academy/Facebook

They were 29-year-old Syed Jafri, a New Zealand resident born in Pakistan; Dilpreet Singh, aged 32, a New Zealand resident born in India; 31-year-old Imad Dib, a Lebanese national holding a work visa; and Pulkit Malhotra, a 27-year-old visitor to New Zealand from India.

The police have said the four men probably were not wearing seatbelts in their Mitsubishi Pajero.

It has been confirmed that three of the men worked at the private training organisation, Queens Academic Group in Auckland. Two were in the marketing team and one was a teacher of accounting.

Emergency services at Muriwai beach. Photo: Richard Pamatatau

It is the third fatal accident on Muriwai since 2004 but past president of Auckland Four Wheel Drive Club Peter Vahry said the beach should not be closed to vehicles. .

He said Auckland Council's new permit system for driving on the beach would not work properly because no one was checking.

The council said it did not have the resources to police it.

It could not confirm whether the whether the driver in yesterday's crash had a permit.