The violent unrest in Kazakhstan that began with peaceful protests in early January has left 225 people dead, authorities have said in a dramatic increase on previous tolls.

Shalabayev said 50,000 people joined the riots throughout the country at their peak on 5 January, when crowds stormed and torched government buildings, cars, banks and shops in several major cities.

Asel Artakshinova, a spokeswoman for the health ministry, said that more than 2,600 people had sought treatment at hospitals, with 67 remaining in a serious condition.

Authorities in Kazakhstan have blamed the violence on bandits and international “terrorists” who they said hijacked the protests that saw the epicentre of unrest move from the west to the country’s largest city, Almaty.

On Saturday, the sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna said two of Nazarbayev’s relatives, Dimash Dosanov and Kairat Sharipbayev, had lost their jobs at the helm of energy companies.

Sharipbayev, 58, is widely believed to be the husband of Nazarbayev’s oldest daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva.