Lucknow, Sep 23 (IANS) At least three people were killed and four others injured in an explosion at a fire cracker unit in Uttar Pradesh late Sunday, police Monday said.

The incident occurred at Kanoon Goyan locality in Hapur, 435 km from here, in a unit where fire crackers were being manufactured for the upcoming Diwali festival.

The roof of the house where the fire cracker unit was operating collapsed following the explosion trapping five people under the debris. 

Police named the house owner as Salim and identified those killed as his wife Raisa, son Faisal (20) and daughter Bano.

Police said the injured have been taken to Meerut Medical College and Hospital. The bodies of those killed in the incident were sent for post-mortem. 

Police said the cracker unit was illegal. A similar incident took place in Unnao, near the state capital, last week in which eight people were killed.