The Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said as many as 10,000 people in Fengwei Town staged a protest outside a sewage treatment plant that was said to have sickened the elderly and children and polluted the sea when it went into operation.

The clash began after a township official was accused of injuring a woman during discussions over sewage treatment.

The crowd overturned the official's car and detained him, the Hong Kong-based watchdog said.

About 2,000 riot police were deployed to save the official and two warning shots were fired during the clash.

The center said 10 villagers were injured, but not from gunfire, and three of them remain in hospital.

According to statements released on a local government website, a trial run at the plant Aug. 19 resulted in a stench and affected people living nearby.

The government said that since then groups of people gathered at the plant on numerous occasions, shut it down, damaged part of the facilities and detained and attacked officials and police deployed at the site.

In the latest post, the statement said two township officials were saved in the early hours Tuesday after they had been attacked and detained by protesters Monday.

But there was no mention of the deployment of riot police, of the police firing warning shots or of people being hurt.

==Kyodo