Death toll in Mexico protests rises to three

The death toll in protests against a gasoline price increase in Mexico rose to three on Friday as two men died of gunshot wounds after a clash with police.
The prosecutor's office in the central state of Hidalgo said the men were declared dead at the hospital following Thursday's violent demonstration in the town of Ixmiquilpan.
The statement did not indicate whether police or civilians had shot the victims.
The state public security department had reported on Thursday that five officers and eight civilians were injured and taken to hospitals after the clash.
Protesters who were blocking a road had tossed rocks at police who responded with tear gas, the department said.

The department said "gunfire was heard", but it did not say who was shooting or whether any of the injured were hit by bullets.

The clash followed days of nationwide demonstrations, highway blockades and looting that began when the government hiked gasoline prices by 20.1 percent on January 1.
Hundreds of people have been arrested while hundreds of stores were ransacked this week.
President Enrique Pena Nieto used a nationally televised New Year's address late Thursday to defend the increase, which is part of a deregulation of gasoline prices.
"It is a difficult change but as president it is precisely my responsibility to take difficult decisions in the present to avoid major problems in the future," Pena Nieto said.

He said the government could not maintain "artificial" prices as the international price of oil rose last year.
Fewer highway blockades were reported on Friday.