Looting and gunfire prevailed in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince hours after President Jean Bertrand Aristide gave up his post and left for the Dominican Republic on Sunday, reports reaching here said.

Aristide's supporters from the slums answered the president's decision with anger. They drove around the city in pickup trucks, armed with shotguns and machetes. A few houses and a gas station were set ablaze by those militants.

Celebrations were also held in the same city. Some chanted "Vive Philippe," referring to a rebel leader.

At least four people were killed in the downtown of the city. A hospital source said about 10 people received treatment for gunshot wounds.

Looters stormed into some shops and police stations, attacked afew buildings, including a house of an official in Aristide's administration. They took away police hats and helmets from a police post in the suburbs.

Police later regained control of the station and arrested some looters. Many of the streets however were calm in the evening as adusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed and some order restored.

Jail doors yawned open when police guards abandoned a major prison on early Sunday, leaving about 2,000 inmates on the streets,including murderers and other hard-core criminals.

There were no vehicles on most roads and motorists tried to stay away from the center of the capital, while a large group of people gathered near the presidential palace in the morning, throwing stones and yelling insults at journalists.

Aristide fled his country after the US government, which had supported him years ago by sending US troops to help him back to office, effectively withdrew its backing on Saturday, saying the Haitian leader was responsible for the crisis in his country.

Haiti had been in anarchy for almost a month, with rebels approaching Port-au-Prince and Aristide's armed supporters ravaging the capital city.