The death toll has risen to 156 from Sunday's riot in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Li Yi, head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China's Xinjiang regional committee says the dead include 129 men and 27 women. He added that one-thousand and eighty people were injured. During the riot businesses were damaged and hundreds of vehicles were burned. The regional government says the situation is now under control.

Serious violent crimes began in Urumqi at about 8 p.m. Sunday.

Rioters attacked, smashed, looted and burned in various places downtown.

Hundreds of civilians were injured.

The woman was beaten to the ground and the rioter continued to kick her in the head.

The rioters smashed many vehicles, including buses and police cars.

The violence continued late into the night. Burning vehicles could be seen at many places in the city. he rioters also set fire to many stores.

The situation has been brought under control. But many local ethnic Uygur and Han residents still have a lingering fear.

A Urumqi resident said, "The scene was tragic and very, very cruel."