A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan on Wednesday evening (Thursday local time). No tsunami warning was issued. The Japan Meteorological Agency located the epicenter about 50 kilometers deep off the coast of Iwate Prefecture.
This event marks the third major earthquake to affect Japan this year. Authorities reported no casualties or significant damage from the quake, though tremors were felt lightly in Tokyo.
Separately, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred in Venezuela on the same Wednesday evening. In Northern California, a 5.6 magnitude quake shook the region on Wednesday morning, injuring several people.
Officials described the California tremor as the largest to hit the area in nearly nine decades. A separate 5.7 magnitude quake was also recorded in Northern California earlier that day.
