Four people were killed in the central Ivory Coast town of Toumodi on Sunday when a house was set ablaze during election unrest sparked by President Alassane Ouattara’ s run for a third term, residents said .
“ During the clashes , several houses … were set on fire . Four people from the same family, a young couple , a woman and an elderly lady , died , ” a relative said on Monday .
Another resident confirmed the four dead were being buried .
At least nine people in total have now died in unrest over the weekend,
according to residents,
security and medical sources. Clashes before Saturday’ s vote claimed 30 lives.
Opposition leaders had called a boycott over what they said was Ouattara’ s unconstitutional bid for a third term.
Electoral officials were tallying ballots on Monday , with preliminary results showing Ouattara with a strong lead .
The tensions have heightened fears that Ivory Coast could spiral into the kind of violence that left 3, 000 people dead in a 2010-2011 crisis
.
( AFP)
