Chinese police had detained at least 1,434 people by Tuesday morning following weekend demonstrations by ethnic Uyghur residents in Xinjiang province, Xinhua reported, citing government officials, as protests spread to more cities. Streets had reverted to calm and curfews were in force in major districts of Urumqi as the death toll mounted from rioting. Police halted people who had gathered in nearby Yili Kazak Prefecture and Aksu City and dispersed more than 200 people who had tried to gather in nearby Kashgar at the Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China, the news agency said. Along the road into Kashgar from the airport, many areas were deserted; residents said police had set up blockades in some areas and were rerouting traffic. The regional public security department put the toll from riots at 156 deaths and more than 800 injuries, according to Xinhua, the state-run news agency. That was an increase from the 140 deaths reported at noon Monday. "Among the 16 newly reported dead, some died in hospitals and others were recovered from street corners, the police said," according to Xinhua. With a massive presence of soldiers and anti-riot squads, the government said Tuesday, the unrest in this capital of China's far-west Xinjiang region had been brought under control, according to a report of CNN.
