At least six people are reported killed in Mozambique, as protests over rising prices turned violent in and around the capital Maputo, and hundreds have been injured.

Police fired rubber bullets and tear-gas as they clashed with demonstrators, angry at hikes in the cost of basic necessities such as bread and fuel.

Mozambique is one of Africa’s most impoverished countries. Two-thirds of its 20 million people live below the poverty line.

Protesters used burning tyres to block main roads leading to the airport and the capital’s biggest suburb. The city centre was said to be calm but rioting and looting were reported in several other areas.

Thousands of people had taken to the streets, defying a police ban.

Prices have soared in recent months as Mozambique’s currency, the metical, has depreciated against the South African rand.

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