Kolkata, May 23 (IANS): One person was killed and three others were critically injured on Tuesday following a blaze at an illegal firecracker factory in West Bengal's Malda district.

The factory is located at Rathbari area under the English Bazar Municipality.

Locals in the area said that the fire also spread of nearby shops which led to the injuries of the three other people.

Due to the narrow passageway and congestion in the area, the firemen faced problems in combating the blaze.

The locals also alleged they had been complaining of the existence of the illegal firecracker factory for quite some time and their complaints were ignored by the local administration and police.

They further claimed of the existence of similar illegal factories in the vicinity.

This is the third incident of such kind in West Bengal in the last seven days.

On May 16, a major explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Egra, East Midnapore district, killed 12 people.

On May 21, a blast at an illegal firecracker warehouse at Maheshtala, South 24 Parganas district, claimed the lives of three persons, including a minor girl.