Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has shared his condolences with the families of two Malaysian students who were killed in a car crash near Lake Tekapo on Saturday afternoon.
The crash involved two vehicles and a motorcycle and happened about 1.30pm on State Highway 8, between Hayman Rd and Tekapo Canal Rd.
Malaysian media reports said University of Canterbury students Megat Ashman Aqif Megat Irman Jefni and Wan Nur Adlina Alisa, both of Malaysia, were killed in the accident.
The motorcyclist was also killed. His name has not yet been released.
The other three injured in the crash were named as Nur Firas Wafiyyah and Lya Issable Walton, also students from Canterbury, and Muhamad Faris Mohd Fairusham from Victoria University of Wellington.
The New Zealand Herald reported Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had taken to Facebook to share his condolences with the families of the two dead students, and he was praying for the other three Malaysian students injured in the crash "to be healed as soon as possible".
Mr Anwar also said in the post that the Malaysian High Commission in New Zealand would provide appropriate assistance to victims and family members.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also extended its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.
"The High Commission ... with the assistance of the Malaysian community in Christchurch, is providing consular assistance to the victims and next-of-kin, to ensure their welfare is well taken care of."
The Ministry and High Commission were prepared to assist, should the families of the deceased decide to repatriate their remains to Malaysia.
Police said the incident would require "a complex and lengthy investigation".
The accident was followed 90 minutes later by a second three-vehicle crash nearby, at the intersection of SH8 and Tekapo-Twizel Rd.
One person received serious injuries in the crash, while nine others received injuries ranging from minor to moderate.
- A person died in hospital on Saturday night following a crash between a tractor and a motorbike on Saturday morning.
Police said the crash on Piakonui Rd in Richmond Downs, near Matamata, was reported to them at 10.40am.
The motorcyclist was critically injured and later died in hospital.
Another person died in a crash on State Highway 5, Rotorua, early yesterday.
Then one person died after a three-vehicle crash on State Highway 6 at Okaramio in Marlborough yesterday afternoon.
That fatality brought the Easter holiday road toll to six, where it stood late last night.
The official Easter holiday period began at 4pm on Thursday and ends at 6am tomorrow.
— Additional reporting RNZ, The New Zealand Herald
