Three persons were killed and five others were injured when a parcel containing firecrackers that were unloaded from a vehicle exploded at Pillaiyar Street in Shastri Nagar here on Wednesday.

The accident occurred at 6.30 a.m. when a seller, who had procured the crackers for Deepavali, was unloading the crackers from a mini van.

The police said that one of the cracker bundles exploded and the fire spread to other bundles. In the impact, the vehicle and five houses were completely damaged. The extent of the damage is being assessed, they added.

Three persons were killed on the spot and the bodies were taken to the hospital. The police are yet to confirm the identity of the three dead. The injured, who are both workers and residents, were admitted to District Headquarters Hospital.