Sheikh Khalid Abubakar, the imam at the Jos, Nigeria's main mosque, said more than 300 bodies were brought there Saturday, and 183 more could be seen near the building waiting to be interred.

Those killed in the Christian community would not likely be taken to the city mosque, raising the possibility that the total death toll could be much higher. The city morgue wasn't immediately accessible Saturday.

A Muslim charity in the town of Jos says it collected more than 300 bodies, and fatalities are also expected among Christians.

There is no official confirmation yet, and figures are notoriously unreliable in Nigeria, says the BBC's Alex Last.

Police have imposed a 24-hour curfew and the army is patrolling the streets.

Witnesses said there were 218 bodies awaiting burial in the building. The total death toll was expected to be much higher with some victims already buried and others taken to hospitals and places of worship.

"They are still picking dead bodies outside. Some areas were not reachable until now," said Al Mansur, a 53-year old farmer .

At least 7,000 people had fled their homes and were sheltering in government buildings, an army barracks and religious centres.

A senior police official said five neighbourhoods had been hit by unrest and 523 people detained.

Agencies