By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – The death toll from earthquakes that hit central Japan on New Year's Day has climbed to over 110, local media said on Saturday.

Authorities also said that the search for over 200 people in Ishikawa region still classified as missing six days since the quake continues, public broadcaster NHK reported.

On Monday, a strong magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the Ishikawa province on the Sea of Japan, destroying a dozen buildings and causing huge damage to roads in the region, followed by smaller quakes.

Aftershocks also continue as a strong 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck the prefecture on Saturday morning while authorities are urging residents to stay alert for more, possibly as large as the first, according to the broadcaster.

Local officials are also having trouble delivering relief supplies to affected areas as roads remain damaged and often blocked while thousands of homes have no power.

Some 33,000 people have been evacuated to around 370 shelters in Ishikawa, which has faced the worst human loss and infrastructure damage.

- North Korean leader’s rare sympathy message

In a rare move, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of sympathy to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over the deadly quakes, state-run media said Saturday.

In his message, Kim expressed his deep sympathy and condolences to the prime minister and bereaved families and victims, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim said he hoped that the people in the affected areas would soon get through the aftermath of the quakes and get back to their lives.

According to Japanese media, it was Kim's first-ever message to Kishida, as the two countries have no diplomatic ties.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid