Death toll rises to 31 in PNG quake

The death toll from the strongest earthquake to strike Papua New Guinea's rugged interior in almost a century has climbed to 31 and would probably rise further, officials said yesterday, as damage to roads, runways and phone lines slowed relief efforts. Most of the other confirmed fatalities were in or around the provincial capital of Mendi and the town of Tari 40 km from the epicentre.