Bodies of 3 Indian NBCC Saint John students killed in crash near Moncton being sent home

The bodies of three New Brunswick Community College students were on their way to the Saint John Airport on Friday to be transported home to their families in India.

The three young men one of whom was soon to be a father were killed in a single-vehicle crash last Sunday while sightseeing in the Moncton area with two of their friends, also from India.

Officials hope to see the victimsrepatriated before Hurricane Dorian hits the Atlantic region, saidAmit Tamrakar, president of the Indo-Canadian Society of Saint John.

He planned to be at the airport to "see them off, just as a courtesy," he said.

The victims two were 24 years old and the third was 29 were all seated in the backseat of theSubaru Outback. They wereejected when the vehicle left Highway 2 east near the Shediac Road exit around 5:45 p.m., rolled and landed in the median, RCMP have said.

The eldest had recently learned that his wife is pregnant, according toManisha Varma,president of the Association of Indo-Canadians of Fredericton. He planned to leave NBCCand return to India, she said.

Police believe speed may have been a factor, but the investigation continues.

Tamrakar said the 25-year-oldfront-seat passenger, who survived, is still traumatized by the loss of his engineering classmates and hasn't left his apartment, but his brother-in-law from Toronto is with him.

The 28-year-old driver, who could facethree counts of dangerous driving causing death when he appears in Moncton provincial court on Dec. 13, is doing as well as can be expected, said Tamrakar.

Heworks at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John on a permanent resident permit, Tamrakar has said.

At the request of the families, no names have been released.

College grieving, offers counselling

Earlier this week, NBCCconfirmed four of its students were in the crash.

"As a college community, we grieve the loss of three students and our hearts go out to the two survivors,"president and CEO Mary Butler said in a statement.

"We think especially of the victims' families and friends so far from their loved ones."

Counselling is being provided to students as well as staff, she said.

The college is also planning a vigil next week, according to Tamrakar, but no details have been released.

The Association of Indo-Canadians Frederictonwill hosta prayer meeting at the Hindu temple in Fredericton, the Maritime Geeta Bhawan, on Sept. 15 at 4 p.m.,"to remember and pray for the departed souls and their families."

"We request you to join us in the Prayer Meeting and stand by the families of the deceased, and the survivors and support them in this difficult time," the Facebook invitation states.

The meeting will be open to everyone, thepresident said.

Varma expectsat least 100 people, including members of the Indo-Canada Association of the Greater Moncton Area and the Saint John society, which is arranging for a bus to transport anyone interested in attending.

There will be prayers, chanting and prasadam, a religious offering of food to honour the three victims, who were all from Gujarat, a state in western India, which has an estimated population of 63.8 million.

The service is very important,said Varma.

"We believe in reincarnation and we really want that all souls rest in peace."