Myanmar ethnic violence death toll put at 50

The official death toll from western Myanmar's recent communal violence has increased to 50, even though the unrest was largely quelled several days ago.

The state-owned New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Saturday that 54 other people were injured, 78 riots broke out and 2,230 houses and buildings were destroyed by fire in the 18 days to Thursday. It also said without elaborating that there were only two riots Thursday that the authorities were able to handle peacefully.

The violence was a result of long-standing tensions in Rakhine State between the ethnic Rakhine community and Rohingya residents, whom many Rakhines regard as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. The Rohingya say they are also longtime settlers in the region.