Video | Hunger revolt in Tunisia kills 50

The riots, sparked by the high cost of essential food like bread and milk, have led hundreds to take to the streets and be defiant of the tough police force.

Italian newspaper la Repubblica reports that the deaths have spiralled into the 50s, while the numbers of those injured could be far higher. Elsewhere however, media is reporting more conservative numbers.

Both Sky News and the BBC quote the figure as standing at 14 deaths. The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, admitted that eight people were killed over the weekend in the western towns of Thala, and Kasserine.

The riots have also spread to Algeria, where another 70 people are reported to have lost their lives.

Shots, as well as tear gas, were fired at the demonstrators, while others set themselves on fire in an act of desperation.

Rioting to protest joblessness and other social ills has scarred numerous cities across this tiny country since 17 December, after a 26-year-old man with a university degree set himself on fire when police confiscated his stock of fruits and vegetables for selling without a permit.

Mobs have since attacked public buildings and the local office of the party of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.