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Bolivia's Congress has sworn in caretaker President Eduardo Rodriguez in a dramatic effort to end weeks of political crisis.

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The move came after lawmakers at an emergency session accepted Carlos Mesa's resignation and heads of both houses of Congress renounced their claim to the presidency.

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Bolivian protesters - many of them of indigenous descent - celebrated the news on the streets, setting out dynamite charges.

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Demonstrators have been pressing for the nationalisation of the country's rich gas reserves, constitutional reform and early elections.

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On Thursday, protesting miners managed to enter the city of Sucre, where Congress was meeting, despite a heavy security cordon.

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Police fired tear gas as protests escalated, prompting fears that the crisis could deepen.

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One miner was shot dead near Sucre in a clash with the troops - the first fatality in weeks of the unrest.

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Some Bolivians just prayed, asking for the end of the violence and fears that had engulfed the country.