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The president of Kazakhstan has declared a two-week state of emergency in parts of the country after protests over fuel price rises turned violent, BBC News reports.

Big demonstrations were reported in several areas across the country.

Police in Almaty, the country's biggest city, used tear gas to contain crowds after vehicles were set on fire.

A decree issued by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday said that he had accepted the government's resignation amid the unrest.

It also appointed the nation's deputy prime minister, Alikhan Smailov, as the new prime minister on an interim basis.

In a video address on Tuesday, the president said that attacks on government offices by protesters were "absolutely illegal".

He declared an emergency in Almaty and in the western province of Mangistau.

The emergency measures there will include an overnight curfew and a ban on mass gatherings, according to official documents cited by Reuters.

Demonstrations began after authorities in the oil-rich nation lifted price caps on liquefied petroleum gas used for vehicles, causing consumer prices to surge.