Tokyo shares dived on Tuesday, with the key Nikkei stock index losing more than 600 points, the biggest single-day point loss since shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 614.41 points, or 4.14 percent, to end at 14,218.60, the lowest level since Nov. 16, 2005, turning in its largest drop since Sept. 12, 2001 when the index incurred a 682.85-point loss.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange lost 52.59 points, or 3.48 percent, to 1,458. 30, the lowest closing since Oct. 31, 2005.

Selling became more intense after the Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said that he had invested in a fund involved in alleged insider trading.

Fukui told a Diet committee in the morning that he invested 10 million yen in 1999 in the investment fund founded by Yoshiaki Murakami, who was arrested June 5 on suspicion of insider trading.

Retreating issues outpaced advancing ones 1,506 to 148, with 42 shares ending unchanged.

Trading volume on the TSE's main section came to 1,966.57 million shares against Monday's 1,959.28 million shares.

The TSE's Second Section index lost 66.77 points, or 1.58 percent, to 4,169.99 on a volume of 96.33 million shares. In Osaka, the near-term September Nikkei 225 index futures contract dropped 540 points to 14,270.

Source: Xinhua