Video Tunisia Crisis | Deadly jail fire claims 42 lives in unrest after Ben Ali quits country

The violence came as the Speaker of Parliament, Foued Mebazaa, took over as interim president. He said he had asked Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi - who earlier said he was in temporary charge - to form a national unity government.

In the meantime, squads of men shot at random from cars Saturday, inmates staged a mass jailbreak, and looting hit the capital’s suburbs hard. In a bid to stem the chaos, troops are patrolling the city centre and a state of emergency is in force.

It was not clear who the armed me shooting from cars were but, senior military sources were reported as linking the individuals to former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

In a televised address, Mebazaa said all political parties including the opposition would be consulted in the formation of a new coalition. "All Tunisians without exception and exclusion must be associated in the political process," he said after taking the oath. According to the constitution, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.

A doctor at Monastir hospital told the BBC it had received 42 bodies so far following the prison fire. The identities of the victims and the cause of the fire are still unclear. Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying that "The whole prison is on fire, the furniture, mattresses, everything."

Tunis’ main thoroughfare, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, was blocked by security forces after an overnight curfew was lifted, In the meantime, troops and tanks are protecting official buildings while the normally tourist-crowded streets are largely deserted.

Tunis Carthage International Airport, earlier closed down on Friday amid unrest, re-opened on Saturday. Despite this, hundreds of tourists and other foreigners have been trapped there.