Langchenggang, China, Nov 1, SPA -- Thousands of police on Monday were guarding a country road outside a village in centralChina where eyewitnesses said rioting between hundreds ofmembers of the Han ethnic majority and Hui Muslims killedat least seven people. Martial law was imposed in Langchenggang in Henan provinceafter the violence erupted Friday, according to residentscontacted by phone. They said groups of as many as 400-500rioters fought with sticks and burned several houses. Residents could not confirm a report by The New York Timesthat as many as 148 people had been killed. Police lined the road beginning 10 kilometers (6 miles)from town, spaced every few feet (meters) on the dustyshoulder of the narrow two-lane road, clumped in groups orpacked into buses. Cars were being stopped at checkpoints,but it wasn't clear if any had been turned away. Minivans with loudspeakers strapped to their roofs drovebetween buildings broadcasting appeals for calm and similarmessages were printed on posters stuck to buildings. Localgovernment and Communist Party officials visited homestelling people not to worry. The cause of the violence wasn't immediately clear.--SPA1320 Local Time 1020 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/214666