Four youngsters, including three school students, were killed while riding on a motorbike without helmets as their two-wheeler collided with a pickup van on the Katwa-Kalna road in East Burdwan’s Nadanghat area on Diwali night.

According to a police source, college student Abdul Selim Mollah, 21, Class X student Arif Sheikh, 16, and Class VII students Abu Bakkar Siddiki Mondal, 16, and Namaj Ali Mondal, 17, were all on a motorbike, returning from Nabadwip, where they had gone for a joyride on Diwali night.

Arif from Paruldanga village was riding the motorbike, while the other three, all residents of the Dangapara area of the same police station area, were riding pillion.

The accident occurred around 9pm near the Gourangapara area on the Katwa-Kalna road.

“None of them was wearing helmets, and the bike was at high speed. After losing control, they hit a passerby woman and subsequently collided with the pickup van. All the four died on the spot,” a police officer said.

The injured woman was admitted to a local hospital and is currently in stable condition.

News of the deaths of the four youths, all from nearby areas, drew hundreds of mourning villagers to the morgue at Kalna Subdivisional Hospital on Friday evening.

“It is so sad that four young lives, including three school students, were lost in the accident,” said a villager.

Local MLA and state animal resources development minister Swapan Debnath visited Kalna Hospital to meet the bereaved families.

“The accident is tragic, as all four were students. The college student was attending coaching classes to crack a police job test, while the other three were school students. I met the bereaved families here at the hospital,” said Debnath, who personally intervened to ensure that the post-mortem was conducted promptly.

However, some residents in Kalna have noted that underage driving, especially motorbike riding by schoolgoers, has become a concern in the area. They believe that both family members and the police should be more vigilant.

“Legally, one cannot get a driving license before 18 years of age. The boy riding the bike was below the legal age for driving. Unfortunately, many minors are now riding bikes without proper licenses. Family members, as well as the police, need to monitor their children’s activities more closely,” said a resident.

Since the Mamata Banerjee government initiated the “Safe Drive, Safe Life” campaign in 2016 across Bengal, the state has taken numerous steps to curb rash driving and prevent underage driving.

In many districts of south Bengal, however, school and college students are frequently seen riding motorcycles at high speed. In certain areas, police have called parents to make them aware of their children’s actions.

“It has become a serious concern for us, as families are allowing minors to ride motorbikes. We have launched multiple awareness campaigns and conducted roadside checks. Society, particularly parents, must take more responsibility to prevent underage driving,” said a senior police officer.

East Burdwan police superintendent Amandeep told The Telegraph that a deputy had been assigned to monitor traffic in the area where the accident occurred. “We consistently crack down on rash driving, but this incident still occurred. We decided to deploy more officers and civic volunteers on the roads to prevent similar accidents.”