Gresik, East Java. Seven people traveling from Tuban, East Java, were killed Thursday morning after their minibus collided head-on with a passenger bus on the main road in Duduksampeyan District, Gresik Regency.

The victims, all passengers in a blue Isuzu Panther minibus with license plate DK 1157 FCL, were reportedly part of a group escorting family members on an Umrah pilgrimage. The vehicle was heading eastbound from Lamongan to Gresik when it suddenly veered right, crossing over the lane divider and into the path of an oncoming Rajawali Indah bus, police and eyewitnesses said.

“I was in the middle of the bus collecting fares when suddenly passengers screamed and then we crashed,” said Eko Peakoso, the bus conductor.

The impact crushed the minibus, leaving it nearly unrecognizable. All seven passengers, including the driver and a child, died - four were pronounced dead at the scene, while three succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Their bodies were taken to the morgue at RSUD Ibnu Sina Hospital in Gresik.

The bus, registered under license plate S 7707 UA and driven by Suwarno of Tuban, was carrying around 15 passengers at the time. Several were injured in the collision, including the driver, who suffered a broken leg, and the conductor, who was hospitalized.

“The minibus swerved to the right and hit the bus head-on,” said Aswoko, head of the Gresik Police Traffic Unit. “All seven minibus passengers died.”

Authorities have cleared the wreckage, and traffic in the area has returned to normal. Police are investigating the cause of the accident, but preliminary reports point to driver error.