Toyota output disrupted following Japan quake

TOKYO (Reuters) - The death toll from a powerful earthquake in northern Japan last week rose to 44, with 660 injured, the government said on Monday, as electricity supply remained short and top automaker Toyota suspended work at most of its assembly plants.

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

With electricity restored, Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Monday its parts factory in Tomakomai, Hokkaido, which builds transmissions and other components, was preparing to resume production sometime during the night shift starting at 8:30 p.m. (1130 GMT).

However, the fallout has already spread beyond the island, with Toyota suspending assembly at 16 of its 18 domestic car assembly plants on Monday to assess its parts inventory. It will decide in the next few hours whether to resume work on Tuesday, the automaker said.