Five members of a family, including two children, aged two and a half and one, were injured in a powerful blast in their house at Kadambur near here today, police said.

The blast occurred at around 5am injuring a 37-year-old man, his wife, their two children and another woman, they said, adding that the man was in critical condition.

Preliminary reports here said the blast might have been caused by a stockpile of "crackers"  in the house.

Police are ascertaining whether the blast was caused by the crackers or some other explosive substances. All the injured were being treated at the Pariyaram medical college hospital here, they said.