Four people were killed when police opened fire to quell clashes between two communities in Bhainsa town of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh on Friday. Six others were seriously injured. The District Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said that the trouble broke out during the Durga immersion process when it was passing in front of a mosque in Panjeshah.

Eyewitnesses said that the trouble started when the people objected to sprinkling of colour on the mosque by the members of the procession. The processionists alleged that the stones were pelted on them from the mosque. Soon it turned out in to a full fledged clash with heavy stone pelting and attacks on shops and passing vehicles.

A police sub inspector Veda Kumar was also injured in the stone pelting. The condition of the five other injured persons was stated to be serious.

The entire market area from Panjeshah mosque to the post office was looted or damaged by the mobs. As many as 44 shops were either burnt or looted by the ransacking mob. 12 vehicles were also burnt or damaged in the violence.

Police first used mild force to disperse the clashing groups but when it failed the police opened 35 rounds of fire in the air. Ultimately it fired at the mobs. Prohibitory orders have been imposed under section 144 in the town.

The local people complained that proper security arrangements were not made even though it was Friday and the procession was to pass in front of the mosque.

Bhainsa town with a sizeable Muslim population has a history of communal trouble specially during the Ganesh processions but this is first time that riots broke out during Durga procession.

District Collector Ahmad Nadeem described the situation as tense. "We are trying to bring the situation under control," he said.