164 people have been killed in Kazakhstan protests over fuel price hikes in the last week, according to reports.

Almaty: According to media reports citing the health ministry, more than a hundred people have died in Kazakhstan as a result of violent riots that shook Central Asia's largest country last week.

The 19-million-strong energy-rich country has been shaken by turmoil for the past week, with roughly 6,000 people imprisoned, including a handful of foreigners.

At least 164 people were murdered in the riots, with 103 of them slain in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, which saw some of the most violent battles between demonstrators and police.

The latest estimates represent a significant increase in the death toll, which had previously been reported as 26 "armed criminals" and 16 security officers.

According to a statement released by the presidency on Sunday, 5,800 persons have been held for questioning.

It stated that the data included "a significant number of foreign nationals," but did not elaborate.

After President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conducted a crisis meeting, the statement noted that "the situation has stabilised in all regions of the country," even if security personnel were continuing "cleanup" operations.

Fuel price hikes prompted discontent in western provinces a week ago, but it swiftly moved to large cities, including Almaty, the country's economic hub, where riots erupted and police opened fire with live rounds.

Property damage was estimated to be over 175 million euros ($199 million) by the interior ministry, according to local media on Sunday.

According to the ministry, more than 100 businesses and banks were attacked and looted, and more than 400 automobiles were wrecked.

An AFP correspondent reported that Almaty had reverted to a state of relative quiet, with police occasionally firing rounds into the air to deter people from reaching the city's central square.

Despite fears of food shortages, supermarkets reopened on Sunday, according to the media.

Kazakhstan's former security director was detained on suspicion of treason on Saturday, as Russia retaliated to US criticism of its force deployment to the crisis-torn country.

The arrest of Karim Masimov, a former prime minister and longstanding supporter of Kazakhstan's former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, sparked suspicion of a power struggle in the ex-Soviet country.

Masimov was seized on charges of high treason, according to the National Security Committee (KNB), a domestic intelligence organisation.

Masimov was fired by President Tokayev after significant unrest erupted, with government buildings in Almaty being assaulted and set ablaze.

Masimov, 56, was fired during the upheaval on Wednesday, when Tokayev took over as president of the powerful security council from Nazarbayev.

On Sunday, Nazarbayev's spokesman, Aidos Ukibay, disputed that the ex-president had left the country and stated that he backed the president.

Nazarbayev deliberately relinquished authority of the security council, according to Ukibay.

Tokayev said 20,000 "armed bandits" stormed Almaty in a stern address to the country on Friday, and he authorised his forces to shoot to kill without warning.

The popular outrage appeared to be directed mostly at Nazarbayev, who had ruled Kazakhstan since 1989 before giving over power.

Many demonstrators chanted "old man out!" in reference to Nazarbayev, and in the southern city of Taldykorgan, a statue of him was desecrated.

Critics accuse him and his family of operating behind the scenes and amassing large fortunes at the cost of ordinary citizens.

With widespread communications disruptions, including days-long internet outages, the complete picture of the pandemonium has frequently been hazy.

Authorities stated Sunday that flights into the nation had been repeatedly cancelled, and Almaty's airport will remain closed "until the situation is stabilised."

Tokayev has expressed gratitude to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which is led by Moscow, for sending troops to help with the turmoil.

Several thousand CSTO troops, including Russian paratroopers, have been dispatched to Kazakhstan to secure vital installations.

Tokayev claims the deployment is only temporary, but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned Kazakhstan on Friday that getting them out could be difficult.

"I think one lesson from recent history is that it's sometimes quite difficult to get Russians out of your house," Blinken told reporters.

Tensions between Moscow and the West are at post-Cold War highs due to worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, with talks between Russia and the US scheduled for Monday in Geneva, following a working dinner on Sunday.

Russia has stated that it will not make any concessions during the discussions.

"We will not accept any capitulation," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov declared on Sunday.

"The signals coming out of Washington, as well as Brussels, in the last several days have disappointed us."