Japan quake death toll rises to 92, missing 242

The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Japan rose to 92 on Friday with the number of missing jumping to 242.

Two elderly women were pulled from the remains of their homes in Wajima, but hopes of finding other survivors faded as thousands of rescuers raced against the clock four days after the 7.5-magnitude quake on New Year's Day.

Rescuers have been battling aftershocks and roads littered with gaping holes and blocked by frequent landslides in the Ishikawa region to reach hundreds of people in stranded communities. Meanwhile, the delivery of relief supplies to the disaster-hit areas is taking two to three times longer than usual due to poor road conditions.