MELBOURNE, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Four people have died and five others, including three children, have been hospitalized after the minivan they were traveling in crashed into a tree in the Australian state of Victoria on Monday.

Victoria Police said in a statement that it is believed that a minivan with nine occupants was traveling along a road in the small town of Muckatah, over 200 kilometers north of Melbourne, when the driver lost control and crashed into a tree on Monday afternoon.

Four passengers who have not yet been formally identified died at the scene.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that at least three air ambulances as well as advanced life support paramedics were deployed to the scene.

Victoria Police said that detectives from the major crash unit were on their way to the crash site, with the exact circumstances surrounding the incident yet to be determined. ■