Rioters in Kenya burned a church where about 100 people had sought refuge from angry mobs Tuesday, then attacked anyone who fled with machetes, leaving up to 50 dead.
The violence occurred in Eldoret, roughly 297 kilometres from Nairobi, and increased the death toll from ongoing post-election violence to more than 275.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene of carnage in which ethnic Kikuyus were targeted.
"There was a huge mob; they attacked the church," one witness, who asked that his name not be used for fear of reprisals, told The Associated Press.
A Red Cross volunteer who counted the dead and helped the wounded said the fire killed at least 50 people, including many children.
President Mwai Kibaki's election victory has been widely disputed, sparking violence across the country since the weekend.
The United States and the European Union have both refused to offer their congratulations to Kibaki and four top Kenyan election officials have called for an independent probe into what took place.
The violence has flared following what is being called the closest presidential race in Kenya's history, with clashes erupting across the country, from Nairobi's poorest neighbourhoods to coastal resort towns.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on Kibaki to hold talks with opposition leader Raila Odinga in an effort to ease the tension, saying in London "the violence must be brought to an end."
On Tuesday, Kibaki said political parties should meet immediately and publicly call for calm. Odinga said he would refuse to meet.
"If he announces that he was not elected, then I will talk to him," Odinga told AP.
Odinga insisted he would proceed with plans to lead 1 million people in a protest march on Thursday, despite the government's call to ban the demonstration.
Kibaki has been sworn in for a second five-year term as president despite allegations of election fraud over unexplained delays in ballot counting and an unexplained 115 per cent voter turnout in one constituency.
With files from The Associated Press
