Drunk driving was blamed for a fatal minibus crash that killed the driver and all seven passengers aboard after they collided with a truck in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, traffic police said Tuesday.

The minibus driver, surnamed Wang, was drunk when the tragedy happened, said traffic police in Harbin, the provincial capital, after an initial investigation.

The minibus crossed the highway center line and collided head-on with a heavy-duty truck driving in the opposite direction at 9:42 p.m. Monday. All eight people in the minibus, aged between 11 and 79, died on the spot. The passengers were Wang's family members and friends.

The truck driver, surnamed Song, did not drive in the required lane according to traffic regulations, said police.

The accident is still under investigation.