JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Police fired rubber bullets as protests erupted in the central business district of South Africa's capitol Pretoria with rioters setting several small businesses in the area alight.

The Sowetan newspaper said the chaos broke out Wednesday after local taxi drivers clashed with drug dealers operating in the area. The taxi drivers had reportedly decided to target sellers of "nyaope," a common street drug in South Africa.

After a taxi driver was allegedly shot and killed in the confrontation, riots broke out and quickly escalated, with hundreds of taxis blocking major roads and the city suspending bus service. Police urged vehicles to avoid the area.

Footage of people who appeared to be looting circulated Wednesday in local media alongside images of firefighters struggling to contain fires blazing in shop fronts.