-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former foreign minister claimed to be in control of an interim government in Kyrgyzstan early Thursday after a wave of protests that left at least 40 dead and appeared to have driven President Kurmanbek Bakiev from office . `` We must restore a lot of things that have been wrongly ruled , '' said Roza Otunbayeva , who called herself the country 's interim leader . No independent confirmation of the claim was immediately available . The U.S. State Department said earlier that it believed Bakiev remained in power , but Otunbayeva said he had fled Bishkek , the capital , and his government had resigned after a day of clashes between anti-government protesters and police . Are you there ? Share your story , photos and video A senior State Department official told CNN late Wednesday that the situation in Kyrgyzstan remains `` very fluid and fast moving , '' and declined to comment on reports that the government had collapsed or that the president had left the country . The official , who insisted on anonymity because of the quickly changing situation , said the United States had been in contact with both members of the government and the opposition . The United States is encouraging all sides to work toward resolution according to the rule of law , the official said . Otunbayeva 's announcement came after hours of clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police , who responded with water cannon , tear gas and eventually with live ammunition . Kyrgyzstan 's Health Ministry told CNN that 40 people had been killed and 400 wounded in the clashes , and that the toll was expected to rise . The former Soviet republic is home to an air base that forms an important link in the supply line for U.S. and NATO forces in nearby Afghanistan . In Washington , a senior Pentagon official said that the turmoil has interrupted flights into and out of that facility , and it was unclear when those flights would resume . But the U.S. military has contingency plans to deal with the situation , the official said . Otunbayeva is the head of Kyrgyzstan 's Social Democratic Party and a member of its parliament . She was a leader of the protests that brought Bakiev to power in 2005 , and she served as his foreign minister for about two years before quitting to protest his appointment of one of the president 's brothers to an ambassadorship , said Mirsulzhan Namazaliev , executive director of the Central Asian Free Market Institute in Bishkek . Opposition leaders have accused Bakiev of consolidating power by keeping key economic and security posts in the hands of relatives or close associates . Protests began Tuesday in the northern city of Talas , Kyrgyzstan , over increases in electric and fuel rates , which had been jacked up at the first of the year as Bakiev 's government sold the country 's public utilities to companies controlled by his friends , Namazaliev said . The demonstrations spread to the capital on Wednesday after the government responded by arresting opposition leaders in Talas . Namazaliev said that demonstrators were already gathered outside Bishkek 's main square when he was headed to his office Wednesday morning , and the crowd had grown to about 5,000 people by noon -LRB- 2 a.m. ET -RRB- . About that time , police began to open fire on them , he said . `` I was running together with them while the police was shooting , '' Namazaliev said . Other protesters remained and battled with police , and some took weapons from officers they overpowered , he said . Machine-gun fire could be heard in the streets into the evening . Opposition leaders took control of the state television network Wednesday evening , airing images of riot police turning water cannons on demonstrators and asking people to donate blood . Though the opposition called for calm , clashes with police continued into Wednesday night , Bishkek resident Munarbek Kuldanbaev said . And Namazaliev said some protesters turned to looting after the proclamation of a new government , and police began trying to crack down on the looting only after negotiations with the interim government . iReporter describes protests , discusses grievances Bakiev came to power in 2005 after a similar upheaval led to the ouster of then-President Askar Akayev . He won a new term in July 2009 in a vote the United States said `` was marred by significant obstacles for opposition parties , intimidation , voting irregularities , and the use of government resources to benefit specific political interests . '' There have been reports of restrictions on the freedom of expression and the media in the country , including the recent closure of an opposition newspaper and other media outlets , the United Nations said . Outside Bishkek , opposition leaders had taken control of Talas and several other towns before claiming power in the capital , the Russian independent news agency Interfax reported . Russia called on Kyrgyz authorities and the opposition to settle all disputes without force and with a democratic process . It also stepped up security at its air base in Kant , Kyrgyzstan . `` On the assumption of our interests to secure political stability in a country that is friendly to ours , we believe it is important that all issues in the given situation be resolved within the legal framework . At the same time , we would like to strongly appeal to the opposing forces to refrain from the use of force to avoid bloodshed in any case , '' the Russian Foreign Ministry said . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , who had visited Kyrgyzstan on Saturday , said Wednesday that he was `` shocked '' by the reports of violence and urged all sides to show restraint , engage in dialogue and promote calm . `` While freedom of assembly is an essential element of any democratic society , the rule of law must be respected , '' he said . CNN 's Ben Brumfield , Matthew Chance , Talia Kayali and Matt Smith contributed to this report .