Emergency declared in Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev declared a state of emergency Saturday, one day after deadly riots broke out in the oil city of Zhanaozen. Nazarbayev also invoked a curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., ITAR-Tass reported. The violence Friday during celebrations marking 20 years of Kazakh independence left 11 people dead, 75 hospitalized and 70 in custody, a spokesman for national Prosecutor General Nurdaulet Suindikov told reporters Saturday. Six police officers were among the injured, including four in intensive care, he said. The rioters also torched cars and burned down 46 structures, including a city administration building, hotels and the offices of Uzenmunaigaz Oil and Gas Co. Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported witnesses claimed police fired on unarmed protesters. Authorities denied the allegations. The violence broke out while police were trying to remove protesters from the city's main square. Workers had occupied the public space for six months while demanding higher wages. "The head of state has created a government commission on the matter of Zhanaozen," RIA Novosti said Prime Minister Karim Massimov posted on Twitter Saturday.