Two brothers, aged 16 and 13, and their 13-year-old friend have died after fleeing police in a stolen car in Christchurch.

The mother of two young boys killed alongside their friend after the fleeing car they were in exploded says she's in "severe shock".

Stuff understands the boys are 16-year-old Glen Mcallister, who was believed to be driving the car, and 13-year-olds Craig Mcallister and Brooklyn Taylor.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@stuff.co.nz

DAVID WALKER/STUFF Superintendent John Price speaks to media about January's fatal incident where three teens died in Christchurch.

Brothers Glen and Craig and their friend, Brooklyn, died after the stolen car they were in hit police spikes at speed, crashed and exploded in a "huge ball of fire" on Christchurch's Blenheim Rd on Sunday night.

Two officers who laid the spikes tried to save the boys, suffering smoke inhalation in the process, but it was too late.

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STUFF Craig Mcallister, 13, Brooklyn Taylor, 13, and Glen Mcallister, 16, died in a crash after fleeing police in Christchurch on Sunday night.

Glen and Craig's mother, Juanita Rose, told Stuff she was in "severe shock" after losing her two sons, who she called her "babies, my life".

Their sister posted a tribute to her "handsome brothers" on Facebook.

"Losing one of you is hard enough, but both of you going has destroyed me. Thirteen and 16 is way too young to be gone.

FACEBOOK Glen Mcallister, 16, was killed alongside his brother Craig Mcallister,13, and friend Brooklyn Taylor, 13, in a crash on Sunday.

"Can't believe I'll never get to see you grow into the men you were supposed to be. I love you both endlessly," she wrote.

Taylor's older sister, TeAri Taylor, said her younger brother's life began to unravel when their father died nine years ago.

"He was a broken child.They were attached at the hip, Dad was his best mate."

FACEBOOK Craig Mcallister, 13, one of two brothers killed in crash on Sunday night.

Brooklyn was in the care of Oranga Tamariki at the time of his death.

TeAri Taylor spoke with him in April last year, after the death of their grandmother, about moving up to Wellington to live with her.

"At the time he wasn't going through a very good situation, wrong people, wrong crowd – just basically couldn't get out of the situation that he was in," she said.

SUPPLIED Brooklyn Taylor, 13, died alongside two friends in a crash in Christchurch on January 13. This photograph was taken when Brooklyn was 11.

"I told his caseworker something's got to change because if you don't send him to me we're going to be burying my brother. He needs to get out of Christchurch and have a whole new beginning."

A family group conference was held in September to determine what was best for him, with the decision made for him to stay in Christchurch with other siblings.

Taylor said she felt sick when she got a call on Monday morning to say her brother had died.

STUFF Three people have died after the car they were in crashed into a tree in Christchurch.

"Everybody makes mistakes, but that's your life. They were only 13 and 16 – it's absolutely disgusting, they had so much to live for.

"As much as I'm broken that we have to bury my baby brother, it wasn't an easy decision or situation to deal with for those police to have to deal with."

It is understood the three boys had regularly stolen cars throughout the city in recent months. The Mazda Familia involved in the crash was first seen speeding in central Christchurch at 11.13pm on Sunday, reaching speeds in excess of 130kmh and running red lights on Moorhouse Ave. It had been stolen earlier that night.

NZ POLICE/SUPPLIED The charred remains of the fleeing car, which exploded after crashing in Christchurch, killing the three teenage boys inside.

Police started chasing the car, but abandoned the pursuit after just over a minute because of the way it was being driven, Price said.

Meanwhile, officers laid spikes a few kilometres away on Blenheim Rd to try stop the car.

The car hit the spikes, lost control and crashed into a tree, rupturing the fuel tank and exploding in flames. The road was wet at the time of the crash, leaving no skid marks.

MARK SCOTT/SUPPLIED The crash scene at Blenheim Rd, Christchurch, where three teenagers died on Sunday night.

"There has been a ball of fire, we know this from CCTV footage," Price said.

Both officers went directly to the car and "did their very best" to get the teens out, but were unable to.

The officers, who were at home recuperating from smoke inhalation, were "absolutely devastated" by the deaths, Price said.

DAVID WALKER/STUFF Canterbury district commander Superintendent John Price says two officers who tried to save the teens from the burning car were "absolutely devastated".

A Blenheim Rd resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the car fire as an "inferno". The most "haunting" thing was the sound of the car horn, which started almost immediately after the crash.

"It didn't go off. It just kept going," he said.

Blenheim Rd resident Ruth Maxwell said police seemed to be "astonished" by the crash.

JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF A car smashed into a tree and caught fire on Blenheim Rd, Christchurch, after hitting police spikes.

"When I came out, the police were standing there and I don't think they realised what to do.

"They were as astonished by what happened as anyone else."

Maxwell was at home when she heard "a loud whoosh".

JOSEPH JOHNSON/STUFF The tree the car hit, before catching fire.

"You couldn't really see much except for a huge ball of fire."