Shepperton's Papua New Guinea community is in mourning following a tragic minivan crash earlier this week.

ABC News reported 17-year-old Jamie Kakon and 51-year-old Linda Kulia were among four people who died at the scene near Muckatah, south of Cobram in North-East Victoria on Monday.

They were among nine occupants travelling in a minivan on a rural road when the vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree. It has been reported the two others who died — a 34-year-old man and a 45-year-old woman — are from the local Congolese community.

Three teenagers were taken to hospital, as was a 39-year-old man who remains under police guard. Those injured include three 16-year-old girls and an 18-year-old woman.

The Age reported Mr Kakon had been sent to Australia eight years ago by his family for a better life. His uncle, Brian Waffi, told the publication: "Jamie was such a good boy. A very obedient, kind boy."

It is understood he was studying in Melbourne, but was in regional Victoria on holidays picking fruit.

"His father cannot speak, he is crying so much," Mr Waffi said from PNG. "He was the hope for his entire family. They wanted him to get a good education. His father sacrificed so much so he could hopefully one day support his family back home."

His family will travel to Australia this week.

It is understood Ms Kulia was living in Mooroopna and working in childcare at the time of the crash, according to the ABC.

Emergency services were called to Chapel Road in Muckatah just before 5 pm on Monday after a minibus carrying nine people left the road. Many of the occupants were not wearing seatbelts, according to Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir.

"We're investigating the strong likelihood that fatigue was involved, in that we believe the people involved have been involved in the ... fruit picking industry and worked a long day and that someone drove and we think fatigue has caused that," he told reporters on Wednesday.

"But also a lot of the trauma in the collision was caused because people weren't wearing the seat belts provided"