A total of 164 persons have been killed in protests that have taken place in Kazakhstan in the past week, the country’s health ministry said on Sunday, according to AP.

The protests in the Central Asian country have been taking place against rising fuel prices, and have since expanded to reflect other causes for discontent as well. The cost of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, used in several vehicles in the country, has doubled after a price hike at the beginning of the year.

The majority of the deaths (103) during the violence have been reported from Kazakhstan’s largest city of Almaty.

It is unclear whether the 164 fatalities are only of civilians or whether security personnel are also included. Earlier, authorities had said that 26 “armed criminals” and 16 security personnel had been killed during the protests, AFP reported.

The health ministry on Sunday said that property worth about 175 million euros (about Rs 14.76 billion) was damaged during the protests. It alleged that over 100 businesses and banks were looted and over 400 vehicles were damaged.

Meanwhile, the office of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that the situation has stabilised in all parts of the country, but added that security forces were continuing “cleanup” operations. Authorities have got back control over administrative buildings that had been occupied by agitators, he added.

The city of Almaty was relatively calm on Sunday, with the police at times firing in the air to prevent people from going to the central square, according to AFP.

The government on Saturday said that Karim Masimoz, the country’s former security chief, has been arrested for suspected treason. On Wednesday, Masimoz had been sacked after the protests spiraled into widespread violence.

On Friday, Tokayev had said that he had authorised the law enforcement officials to open fire on protestors and kill them. He also referred to the agitators as terrorists.

Tokayev also dismissed calls from some countries to talk to the protestors as nonsense. “What negotiations can be held with criminals, murderers?” he asked.

The president earlier sought help from Russia-led alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which has five other former Soviet countries as its members. The forces arrived on Thursday.