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 Shimulia Kuthipara village in the upazila.

Following the accident, enraged locals blocked the Kushtia-Rajbari highway in protest, 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 succumbed to their injuries after being rushed to the hospital, he added.