Two women and a child were killed, while nine others were injured in a blast at an "illegal" firecracker unit in a village in Haryana's Sonipat district on Saturday, police said.

Workers and some of their family members were present at the site when the incident took place at the factory, located in Ridhau village, they added.

The cause of the fire that led to the blast is being investigated, a police officer from Sonipat said.

"Three have died in the incident, of which two are women, while one is a child. Nine injured persons have been taken to PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak," the officer said.

The police officer said the chemical used in preparing firecrackers in the "illegal unit" appeared to have caught fire, leading to the blast.

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