Quake death toll continues to rise

Tokyo – The death toll from a powerful earthquake in northern Japan last week rose to 44, with 660 injured, the government said yesterday, as electricity supply remained short and top automaker Toyota suspended work at most assembly plants.

The pre-dawn, 6.7-magnitude quake on Thursday temporarily paralysed the island of Hokkaido, cutting off access by air and train and knocking out power to the island.