Chennai, April 28 (IANS): Three people died and eight others were injured in a blast in a firecracker unit near Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu Sunday morning, police said.

The accident at Rathna Fire Works occurred at 10 a.m., when workers were making fancy firecrackers.

Speaking to IANS over phone from Virudhunagar, a police official said: "Out of the eight injured persons, seven have been admitted to a Sivakasi hospital, and one has been referred to a hospital in Madurai."

Four of the injured persons have suffered 80 percent burn injuries.

Police said firemen doused the blaze that erupted following the blast.

Senior district administration and police officials have reached the accident site.

Nearly 90 percent of the country's fireworks are made in Sivakasi, the oldest and largest hub of the firecracker industry in the country. Nearly 80 percent of the country's match-boxes also come from Sivakasi, about 540 km from the state capital.