April 7, 2010 4:38 p.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Kyrgyzstan's former foreign minister said Wednesday she is in charge of an interim government following protests that have driven President Kurmanbek Bakiev from office.
"I hope we have control of the whole situation, but at the same time I must tell you that there is a lot of work," Roza Otunbayeva, who called herself the country's interim leader, told CNN.
No independent confirmation of the claim was immediately available. Earlier Wednesday in Washington, the U.S. State Department said it believed Bakiev was still in charge. The United States has a military base in Kyrgyzstan that serves as a critical supply link to Afghanistan.
Anti-government protesters fought with police and seized control of television stations in Bishkek, the capital, in a wave of protests that left at least 40 dead and 400 wounded, according to government officials and witnesses.
Bakiev's government had declared a state of emergency, and the country's Health Ministry said the number of dead and wounded was expected to rise.
iReporter describes protests, discusses grievances
Bishkek resident Munarbek Kuldanbaev said that opposition leaders had taken control of the state television network, claimed to have taken control of the government and called for calm. Opposition figures reported that Bakiev had fled the capital and regional governors had stepped down.
Clashes between opposition supporters and police continued into Wednesday night, Kuldanbaev said. Another Bishkek resident, who asked to remain anonymous because of security concerns, said there was machine-gun fire around the city and blood stained the streets in front of the presidential palace.
The country's major television networks showed images of riot police turning water cannons on demonstrators and asked people to donate blood, but no statements from the government were airing.
A senior Pentagon official told CNN that the turmoil has interrupted flights into and out of Kyrgyzstan's Manas Air Base, an important link in the supply line for U.S. and NATO forces in nearby Afghanistan. It was unclear when those flights would resume, the official said, but the U.S. military has contingency plans to deal with the situation.
Bakiev has led the former Soviet republic since 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.
Earlier, human rights activist Toktaim Umetaliyeva told the Russian independent news agency Interfax that 10 people had been shot and killed by police at an opposition rally near a government building in Bishkek. Interfax reported that some protesters stopped buses in attempts to block central streets.
Interfax reported that fighting erupted in Bishkek and two other cities, Talas and Naryn, after opposition leaders were arrested in Talas. Protesters demanded that the opposition leaders be released, and Interfax reported that the demonstrators had seized control of Naryn, Talas and other towns.
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.
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"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 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.
A victim of clashes between riot police and anti-government protesters is seen in Bishkek April 7, 2010. The condition of the victim is unknown. At least 17 people were killed and 142 injured in clashes between riot police and opposition protesters in the capital of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, the Kyrgyz Kabar news agency said. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov
(KYRGYZSTAN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW)
An unidenttified man fires an automatic weapon near the main government building in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. Police in Kyrgyzstan opened fire on thousands of angry protesters who tried to seize the Central Asian nation's main government building, after beating up dozens of police officers. At least four protesters were shot dead.
(AP Photo/Azamat Imanaliyev)
Protesters try to take a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) from a riot policeman during clashes in Bishkek April 7, 2010. At least 17 people were killed and 142 injured in clashes between riot police and opposition protesters in the capital of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday, the Kyrgyz Kabar news agency said.
REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov (KYRGYZSTAN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS) 
A plain clothes policeman kicks an anti-government protester in Bishkek April 7, 2010. Kyrgyz forces fired on thousands of protesters in central Bishkek on Wednesday after some of the protesters tried to smash two trucks through the perimeter fence of the government building, said a Reuters reporter at the scene. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov
(KYRGYZSTAN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW IMAGES OF THE DAY)