Seven people including three women were killed when a powerful explosion occurred at an illegally run cracker manufacturing unit in Jehanabad town of Bihar on Saturday.

“Three people were killed on the spot and four more succumbed to the injuries on way to hospital,” a police official said.

Six people were also injured in the blast.

The unit-cum-shop was being run from a house in Shiekalam Chak locality in Jehanabad, about 50 km from Patna.

The injured were first rushed to the Sadar Hospital and later referred to the Patna Medical College and Hospital after their condition deteriorated.

The owner of the cracker shop was selling and manufacturing crackers without a licence, a police official said.

The district administration ordered an inquiry into the incident.