Jaipur, June 13 (PTI): Five persons were today killed in police firing after stone-pelting protesters demanding wat-er blocked traffic on the Jai-pur-Kota highway.

The residents of Sohella village, who were demanding drinking water from the Bishalpur dam, had staged a sit-in on the highway in Tonk district, inspector-general of police (law and order) Nawdeep Singh said.

When police intervened, they pelted stones, injuring 10 people. The police then fired in retaliation, killing five persons, Singh said. An additional superintendent of police was among those injured.

Singh said the situation was tense and additional forces had been deployed.