Chennai, Jun 21 (IANS): Three persons including a five-year-old boy died in a blast at an illegal firecracker unit at Kalaignar colony of Thayilpatti in Sattur on Monday morning. Local people said that fire broke out during the making of crackers.

Police sources said that Selvamani (35), her son, and another person, Karpagam (35) were found charred to death on the spot. Two other persons -- Surya and Prabhakar, with multiple injuries have been admitted to Sivakasi government hospital.

District Fire Officer, Ganeshan is leading a team of three fire tender units to clear the locality of any further blast and to remove people who are living in the surrounding areas.

Four houses including one where the fire cracking unit was operating illegally were totally destroyed due to the blast.

Saravanan, an activist working among the local people of Sivakasi told IANS, "There are several illegal cracker-making units here, and all the pleas to the government have fallen on deaf ears. The government including the police must act swiftly and shut down all the units which are operating without a proper license and employing children."

Police have registered a case and an investigation is underway.