With communal violence claiming four more lives on Sunday, the death toll in Mau town of eastern Uttar Pradesh rose to seven, even as arson and firing spread to rural areas on its periphery.

Two persons were killed in firing and six were injured as mobs resorted to violence in Salimpur village on Mau's outskirts on Sunday afternoon, in spite of the presence of the armed police in the communally sensitive curfew-bound town.

Three persons had died in the violence that broke out two days ago and two succumbed to the wounds on Sunday morning. In all, 33 persons were hospitalised with injuries.

"We are in the process of intensifying security arrangements both in the town as well as in the vulnerable neighbouring rural pockets," divisional commissioner BD Singh said over telephone from Mau.

"Curfew was extended to rural areas where shoot-at-sight orders have also been issued," he added.

"We were apprehensive about the spread of violence to rural areas, but we are fully geared up to check that trend," Principal Home Secretary Alok Sinha said in the state capital.

He said, "165 persons have been arrested so far as part of the measures to prevent recurrence of violence, while entry of some prominent politicians of the region has been banned in Mau district."

Among those barred from entering the district are Mukhtar Ansari, the ruling Samajwadi Party's legislator, and Yogi Adityanath, the Hindu Mahasabha MP from neighbouring Gorakhpur, both of whom were allegedly responsible for fuelling the sectarian strife.

Curfew was clamped in the town after clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups on Friday during the concluding celebrations of the Hindu festival of Dussehra.