Japan’s death toll from the New Year’s Day earthquake reached 110 on Saturday as a search for survivors in the rubble of collapsed buildings entered a sixth day, with more than 200 still missing after the deadliest quake in nearly eight years.
The quake of magnitude 7.6 struck the west coast, destroying infrastructure and snapping power links to 22,000 homes in the Hokuriku region.
Rain hampered efforts to sift the rubble for survivors as more than 30,000 evacuees awaited aid. The number of confirmed dead stood at 110 by 4 p.m. on Saturday, up from 94 the previous day, the Ishikawa government website showed.
“I am keenly aware of the extent of the damage caused,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said as the toll crossed 100.