Four children were killed and several more were injured when a car smashed through a building during an after-school program on Monday afternoon in a town outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said.

Officers responded at about 3.20pm to calls about a vehicle hitting three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting one more person before exiting the other side, Chatham police department deputy chief Scott Tarter said.

Those killed were between the ages of four and 18, Illinois state police said in an emailed statement.

Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, police said.

The driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said.

Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, was aware of the situation and continues to monitor it. “Let’s wrap our arms around the community tonight as we receive updates on the situation,” Pritzker said in a social media post.

The building and facilities house YNOT Outdoors, which holds after-school programs and summer camps, according to its website.

Chatham is a small town of about 15,000 people just outside Springfield, Illinois.