Witnesses say soldiers opened fire and killed at least two people in Somalia as tens of thousands rioted over high food prices.

Dr. Dahir Dhere says a man wounded in Monday’s protests died on the way to an operating room at the capital’s main hospital.

Protester Abdinur Farah says he was marching with his uncle when government troops opened fire and wounded his relative. He died before he could be taken to a hospital.

Several people were injured in the riot. Protesters hurled stones that smashed the windshields of cars and buses. They also attacked shopkeepers who hurriedly closed their stores.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) _ Tens of thousands of people rioted over high food prices in Somalia’s capital Monday, hurling stones and prompting hundreds of shops to close.

An Associated Press reporter saw several people injured in the protest in Mogadishu in this Horn of Africa nation.

The protesters include women and children, who marched to protest the refusal of traders to accept old 1,000-shilling notes.

Soon after, tens of thousands of people took to the streets, hurling stones that smashed the windshields of several cars and buses. Rocks also were thrown at shops and chaos erupted at the capital’s main Bakara market.

Hundreds of shops and restaurants in southern Mogadishu closed their doors for fear of looting.

Prices of rice and other food staples have been rising rapidly around the world, boosted by poor weather in some nations and rising demand. The increases have led to violent protests in Haiti and Egypt and concerns of unrest elsewhere amid profiteering and hoarding.