Officials appeal for calm

URUMQI: Xinjiang authorities declared a traffic curfew in the regional capital from 9 pm last night to 8 am today as part of heightened measures to quell escalating violence.

The move came after chaos hit the city again yesterday afternoon, less than two days after a riot in which 156 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.

As of yesterday, more than 209 shops were damaged and 260 vehicles, including 11 belonging to the police, were torched.