Tanzania was plunged into its worst political crisis in decades Thursday, as nationwide protests against alleged electoral theft turned violently lethal, prompting a military lockdown, a near-total internet blackout, and casting the whereabouts of President Samia Suluhu into mystery.

The East African nation, once hailed as a beacon of regional stability, now teeters on the brink after citizens, enraged by what opposition leaders are calling a brazenly rigged presidential election, poured into the streets in a massive show of defiance.

The capital, Dar es Salaam, along with other major cities like Mwanza and Arusha, has become a battleground. Images smuggled out before the communications blackout show plumes of black smoke rising from burning tyres, shattered storefronts, and running battles between rock-throwing youths and police armed with tear gas and live ammunition. Unconfirmed reports from local hospital sources cite a mounting death toll, with many victims believed to be victims of live fire.