An Australian family who died in a horrific highway crash in India while travelling to the Taj Mahal were nearing the end of a six-week holiday to visit family when the tragedy occurred, according to a colleague.

Rupen Datta, a restaurant owner from Adelaide, survived the crash on the Yamuna Expressway in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday afternoon.

But he is now faced with the devastating loss of his wife Anamika and their three children - daughters Neetika and Pipasa, aged 12 and 15, and son Tirvijai, 20 - and Anamika's sister Sonia, 25, who all died in the crash.

The family had left the Indian city of Delhi and were driving towards the Taj Mahal along the six-lane Yamuna Expressway on Sunday afternoon, according to the Times of India. Also in the Toyota Qualis were Mrs Datta's father, identified by police as NK Paliwal, and the driver, Shambhu Paswan.

Police said one of the vehicle's tyres burst about 3.30pm, local time, causing the vehicle to crash into a safety barrier, then a road divider, before the vehicle overturned and landed on the incorrect side of the highway. A number of the victims were thrown from the vehicle in the crash, police said.

Residents of a nearby village tried to help the family before police arrived, but the two women and two girls died at the scene. Tirvijai was taken to Mathura Hospital where he died a short time later, police said.

Mr Datta suffered serious head injuries and is receiving treatment in hospital, a family friend said, adding that "my heart is breaking for all the friends, colleagues, family".

Mr Paliwal and Mr Paswan also survived the crash, according to local media reports, and were being treated in hospital.

Mr Datta owns the Urban India restaurant in Mile End in Adelaide's inner west. An employee at the restaurant told Fairfax Media on Tuesday that Mr Datta and his family were about five weeks into a six-week trip to India to visit family.

"We have heard that there was an accident, and we are trying to contact other relatives in India [to find out what happened]," the employee said.

Mr Datta, who is originally from Delhi, had owned the restaurant in Adelaide for the past 10 years, the employee said.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs at Trade confirmed the deaths of the Australians.

"[DFAT] is providing consular assistance in accordance with the Consular Services Charter to members of a family of Australians who passed away following a traffic accident in Uttar Pradesh, India," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

"Due to privacy obligations, we are unable to provide any further comment."