Four people were killed and 18 injured in clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the northern Indian town of Aligarh, a senior official said on Thursday.
The rioting erupted in a crowded neighbourhood of the town after Muslims objected to the use of loudspeakers overnight by Hindus, who were celebrating the birthday of the Hindu god-king, Rama. But according to R.M. Shrivastava, home secretary of Uttar Pradesh, of which Aligarh is a part, trouble began when a group of Hindus found part of a wall surrounding a temple damaged late on Wednesday.
Hindus and Muslims first shouted at each other but that escalated to stone throwing and gunfire, Shrivastava told reporters in state capital Lucknow.
"Two people were killed on the spot while two others died later in hospital," he said.
Knives, bricks and bamboo sticks were used in the fighting, and police reported gunshots being fired. Eight of the injured were in a critical condition, officials said. Aligarh, which has a large Muslim population, has seen frequent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the past. A curfew has been imposed in parts of the town that were still tense following Wednesday's incidents, he added.