A strong quake shook Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island and a tourist hot spot, early yesterday morning, killing at least 11 and injuring about 300 people.

About 32 people are still missing, all of them residents of the rural town of Atsuma, where homes were flattened by a series of mudslides.

The quake, which measured a magnitude of 6.7, struck at 3.08am local time (2.08am in Singapore).

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that aftershocks of a similar magnitude might occur over the next week.

Yesterday's tremor cut off power to all homes on the island, plunging its 5.3 million residents into darkness. At least 300,000 homes were also without water.

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said there were no reports of casualties involving Singaporeans.

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