Bildt: The situation in Kazakhstan is deteriorating rapidly

Protesters and police have clashed in several cities in Kazakhstan as protests widen over rising energy prices.

In Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, hundreds of protesters, some armed with rubber batons, stormed the mayor's office on January 5 as police met them with tear gas and rubber bullets.

There were reports of a fire in the building.

The president, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, has dismissed the government and declared a state of emergency in parts of Kazakhstan - including Almaty and the capital Nur-Sultan - in a bid to quell protests that erupted three days ago due to increased of prices for LPG, which is used for cars in the oil-rich country.

The protests soon spread across the state, showing support for the protests that first erupted in Mangastau.

Dissatisfaction with issues such as corruption, unemployment and low wages have also been mentioned in the protests.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 200 people have been arrested during the protests "in some regions", but observers have said that the real figure could be higher.

The ministry said that at least 95 people were injured in the clash.

Protests have also been reported in other Kazakh cities such as Aqtau, Zhanaozen and Oral, despite internet problems, which have been seen as attempts by authorities to limit protesters' ability to mobilize.

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bidt has commented on the extraordinary situation that is happening in Kazakhstan. He said in a post on the social network Twitter that the situation is rapidly escalating in that country. "The situation in Kazakhstan is rapidly deteriorating. The northern part of the country is populated mainly by Russian citizens. What will happen there may be an ongoing question if the deterioration continues," said Bidt.

The GEOPOST