A hotel was torched, police cars overturned and officers pelted with rocks as thousands of people rioted over the weekend following the mysterious death of a cook in Hubei province, residents said.

Nearly 10,000 riot police marching in formation used shields for protection and were backed by armored vehicles as they put an end to three days of violence in Shishou by dawn yesterday, a local woman surnamed Cheng said.

Cheng estimated that up to 10,000 people were involved in the riot but some media organizations said the figure was much higher.