A Muslim crowd attacked a Christian community in eastern Pakistan on Wednesday and set scores of houses and several churches on fire, accusing its members of desecrating the Quran, police and community leaders said.

The incident took place in Jaranwala town of the industrial city of Faisalabad, police spokesman Naveed Ahmad said. A violent crowd had attacked the community after two Christians were accused of blasphemy, he said.

The police were trying to calm the situation down but local residents said it seemed to be worsening. The crowd had grown in number, with dozens of people blocking a nearby highway.

A Christian leader, Akmal Bhatti, said the crowd had torched at least five churches and looted valuables from houses that had been abandoned by their owners after clerics made announcements in mosques inciting the mob.

Police spokesman Ahmad gave no details on the violence and did not confirm if any churches had been burnt.

Several social media posts, however, showed some churches on fire as well as houses and belongings.

The Salvation Army Church, United Presbyterian Church, Allied Foundation Church and the Shehroonwala Church situated in the Isa Nagri area in the Jaranwala district of Faisalabad were ransacked, Bhatti, the pastor of the Jaranwala tehsil, was quoted as saying by Dawn.com.

Bhatti added that the house of a Christian cleaner, who was accused of blasphemy, was also demolished.

Punjab police chief Usman Anwar said the police were negotiating with the protesters and the area had been cordoned off.

“There are narrow lanes (in the area) in which small two to three marla churches are located and there is one main church…. They have vandalised portions of the churches,” Anwar was quoted as saying by Dawn.com.

Christian leaders alleged that the police remained silent spectators. President Bishop of the Church of Pakistan Azad Marshall said that “Bibles have been desecrated and Christians have been tortured and harassed, having been falsely accused of violating the Holy Quran”.