AFP, Guwahati

The Daily Star, Sun May 7, 2023

The death toll after ethnic clashes in India's remote northeast rose to 54yesterday, with fresh violence overnight despite authorities rushing in troopsto restore order.

Thousands of soldiers were sent to Manipur state after a protest march by atribal group turned violent on Wednesday.

Authorities imposed an internet blackout and issued shoot-at-sight orders in"extreme cases" in an effort to contain the unrest.

Police told AFP that the situation remained tense after a fresh bout ofviolence on Friday night, while The Press Trust of India said hospital morguesin state capital Imphal and Churachandpur district further south had reported acombined total of 54 dead.

"16 bodies were kept in the morgue of the Churachandpur districthospital while 15 bodies were in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciencesin Imphal East district," PTI reported, citing an unnamed local official.

"The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences at Lamphel in Imphal Westdistrict reported 23 dead."

Manipur director general of police P. Doungel told reporters on Friday thatsecurity forces were bringing the situation under control.

Army patrols had "gone a long way to quell the thing off", hesaid.

Security forces and the Manipur government have yet to issue an officialdeath toll for this week's violence.

But India's law minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters yesterday that"many lives have been lost" after days of clashes alongside damage toproperty.

The internet blackout has impeded the flow of information from Manipur anddetails of the latest clashes on Friday remain sparse.

An Indian army unit based in neighbouring Nagaland state said 13,000 peoplehad sought shelter from the violence "within military premises".