Four children tragically lost their lives after being hit by a speeding microbus in Khoksha upazila of Kushtia on Sunday morning, police said.

The children were on their way home after Quran lessons at a local mosque when the accident occurred.

Three of the victims have been identified as Mim, 12, daughter of Md Hanif; Tanjila, 11, daughter of Palon Sheikh; and Juthi, 12, daughter of Helal Uddin. All were residents of village Shimulia Kuthipara of the upazila.

Following the accident, enraged locals blocked the Kushtia-Rajbari highway, demanding justice for the children.

‘Protests have erupted, and the highway has been blocked,’ said Akul Chandara Biswas, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Highway Police Station.

Abdul Quddus, chairman of Shimulia Union Parishad, confirmed the tragic incident. The microbus ran over the children and then plunged into a roadside pond, killing one child on the spot, he said.

The three other children died from their injuries after being rushed to the hospital, he added.

Local authorities are working to clear the highway.