No answers yet to beach smash that killed four

WITNESSES SOUGHT: The wrecked four-wheel-drive vehicle is readied to be transported from the beach. PHOTO/NZME

Three of the four victims of the beach crash at Muriwai on Sunday were working at Queens Academic Group in Auckland and the fourth was a friend of theirs.

Imad Dib, 31, Dilpreet Singh, 32, and Syed Haris Jafri, 29, had been working at Queens Academic Group since last year and were at Muriwai with one other friend when the crash happened.

Mr Dib, originally from Lebanon, was a Middle Eastern marketing executive, India-born Mr Singh was an Indian marketing executive and Pakistan-born Mr Jafri was a lecturer in business and accounting.

The fourth man was Pulkit Malhotra, 27, a recently arrived visitor to New Zealand from India.

Queens Academic Group did not immediately wish to comment citing privacy.

Colleagues have gathered at the home of Mr Jafri to pay their respects.

The men were travelling in a Mitsubishi Pajero and thrown from it when it rolled just before 5pm.

The vehicle was towed from the water by a tractor on Sunday night and the Waitemata Police Serious Crash Unit examined the wreckage at a secure facility yesterday.

It was not known which of the men had been driving. Police had spoken to a few witnesses but wanted to hear from anyone else who saw the brown and silver-coloured four-wheel drive on the beach on Sunday afternoon.

Waitemata Police road policing manager Inspector Trevor Beggs said that, based on witness information, it was believed the car was travelling at speed along the water's edge: "It's either struck an object or has hit sand.

"The vehicle has then flipped and rolled several times."

"We are working with local iwi to co-ordinate a site blessing and this should take place in the next few days." NZME