Urumqi, July 10 (Xinhua) Some mosques in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi were closed Friday following Sunday's deadly riot that left at least 156 people dead, a Chinese official said.

All five major mosques near the Southern Jiefang Road, centre of Sunday's violence, were closed Friday morning.

At the Baida Mosque, an imam (cleric) said the place had been closed 'for safety considerations' and advised people to perform the prayer at home.

Some smaller mosques, however, remained open Friday morning and were seemingly prepared for the Friday prayer.

'Mosques in some sensitive areas were closed at their imam's suggestion,' said an official in charge of religious affairs with the Xinjiang regional government.

It is not immediately known how many mosques would remain open for the Friday prayer, the official said.

But the official said mosques in other prefectures would all be open.