Tokyo/Caracas: A powerful earthquake measuring a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck northeastern Japan on Thursday morning, shaking a wide area across the country's northeast and briefly disrupting transport services. However, authorities said there was no tsunami threat, according to local media reports.  

The quake struck off the Pacific coast of Iwate Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. local time and occurred at a depth of 50 kilometres, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. 

The agency reported that the tremor registered an upper 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7 in Hashikami and a lower 6 in Hachinohe, both located in Aomori Prefecture. It also recorded upper 5 shaking in Sannohe in Aomori Prefecture and in Morioka and several other areas of Iwate Prefecture. 

Strong tremors were felt across Miyagi, Hokkaido, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures, while the shaking was also experienced in Tokyo and neighbouring regions, reports Kyodo News.

Explaining the severity of the shaking, the weather agency said that an intensity of upper 6 means it becomes nearly impossible for people to remain standing or move around without crawling. It added that most unsecured furniture is likely to shift, while many objects can topple over due to the force of the quake.

Rail services were also affected in the aftermath of the earthquake. East Japan Railway Company (JR East) temporarily suspended Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train operations between Sendai and Shin-Aomori stations as a precautionary measure while safety inspections were carried out.

Meanwhile, Venezuela was struck by two major earthquakes within the span of a minute, raising concerns over possible casualties and widespread destruction. The tremors caused buildings to collapse in the capital city of Caracas, according to reports.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported a magnitude 7.1 quake, followed just one minute later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude tremor, with both hitting near the coastal town of Moron, about 160 km west of Caracas, reports Xinhua news agency.

The quakes were shallow at a depth of 10 km, which could intensify their destructive impact.

The USGS said high casualties and extensive damage are likely after the two quakes.