Africans living in northern India are locking themselves into their homes after a spate of mob attacks left several people hospitalised. 

Five Nigerian students were attacked by crowds and another was beaten unconscious by a mob inside a shopping mall in the district of Noida, near Delhi.

Film of the attack prompted a social media outcry and the victim told local media no one had helped or called the police as he was beaten unconscious with knives and bricks. Two more African students were assaulted in a separate incident by masked men. The attacks began after the parents of a local teenager blamed Nigerian students for supplying him with the drugs that caused him to die of an overdose. Police detained five local Nigerian men on suspicion of drug dealing, abduction murder, but they were later released after a post mortem failed to confirm an overdose was the cause of death.  

After their arrest, a group of African students gathered to peacefully demonstrate, which was met with a counter protest by locals. 

Violence broke out and police said 100 people then attacked students in a nearby shopping mall. It has prompted the Association of African Students in India issued a statement to all Africans in the area and urged them to stay indoors. They also claimed they would continue to publicise the continuing "racism" Africans face in India.

"All African Students Studying in Greater Noida are hereby instructed to stay at home as the situation remains volatile. We are advising all the student representatives from Africa to request their students to remain at home," their advisory said. 

Enduranca Amalawa, 21, an economics student at a local university, was caught up in the mob attack.

Calling the attacks "deplorable" Gopal Baglay, a Ministry of External Affairs spokesman said authorities were working "to keep the situation under control."