The unrest was sparked on Wednesday after an argument between a Buddhist couple and the owners of a Muslim gold shop escalated into a fully-fledged riot, with hundreds of Buddhists arming themselves with swords and knives and randomly attacking Muslims. The death of a monk in the clashes has further inflamed anger amongst the Buddhist community. Around 2,000 Muslims have now fled Meikhtila, where buildings in many neighbourhoods were still smouldering on Friday evening.