Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday the government will extend an additional 100 billion yen ($690 million) from reserve funds under the fiscal 2023 budget within the month to help improve the living conditions of people affected by a powerful New Year's Day earthquake that struck central Japan.

His remarks about using reserve funds for an emergency aid package that the government is compiling came as he visited areas devastated by the quake that hit Ishikawa Prefecture and surrounding areas to assess the damage and meet affected people.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (far R) speaks with people affected by the major quake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and elsewhere on New Year's Day, during a visit to an evacuation center in Suzu, a heavily damaged coastal city in the prefecture, on Jan. 14, 2024. (Pool photo)(Kyodo)

The emergency package will comprise measures such as securing temporary housing for those affected and rebuilding infrastructure damaged by the magnitude-7.6 quake that struck the Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast.

The package will also include steps to process disaster waste and help rebuild industries, including farming, fishing and tourism.

Last week, Kishida's Cabinet agreed to extend 4.74 billion yen from reserve funds under the fiscal 2023 budget to help finance relief measures, including those that help affected residents better cope with the cold weather in the region.

The death toll from the disaster was 221 as of Saturday, with people in disaster-stricken areas facing the challenges of severed roads and no water supply.

Kishida also told reporters the government plans to double the reserve funds earmarked in the draft budget for fiscal 2024, which starts in April, from the current 500 billion yen to 1 trillion yen. His Cabinet is set to propose the change soon.

Kishida inspected the situation in Ishikawa Prefecture from a helicopter and visited evacuation centers in Wajima and Suzu, which were most severely damaged by the quake.

He expressed his gratitude and encouraged Self-Defense Forces personnel engaged in search and other operations when he visited a base in Wajima.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (front L) speaks to Self-Defense Forces personnel in Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 14, 2024, during his visit to areas devastated by a New Year's Day earthquake in central Japan. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with a person affected by the major quake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture and elsewhere on New Year's Day, during a visit to an evacuation center in Wajima, a heavily damaged coastal city in the prefecture, on Jan. 14, 2024. (Pool photo)(Kyodo)

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