Martial Law Imposed on Town After Riot

Martial law has been imposed on a town in central China after rioting between hundreds of members of the Han ethnic majority and Hui Muslims killed at least seven people, local residents said.

The violence erupted Friday in Langchenggang, a town near Zhengzhou in Henan province, residents said. They said groups of as many as 500 rioters fought with sticks and burned several houses.

The cause of the violence wasn't immediately clear. One report said it erupted after a Han girl was struck and killed by a Hui taxi driver.

However, an accountant at a factory in the town said it grew out of an incident in which three Hui men beat up a 17-year-old Han boy who blocked their car on a street.