A powerful and shallow 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the waters off the coast of Honduras late Tuesday, triggering tsunami threats and advisories for nearby Caribbean shores, though there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake struck at 0251 GMT and its epicenter was located some 27 miles (44 kilometers) east of Great Swan Island, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It was provisionally considered to be shallow.
The quake has sparked a tsunami warning in the area, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The warning is in effect for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands according to the warning centre, claiming tsunami waves are possible.
The warning was issued 10.58pm AST.
Cuba, Mexico, Honduras, Belize and Jamaica meanwhile were issued "threat" warnings of waves between 0.3 to one meter (a foot to 3.3 feet) high.
The advice states "actions to protect human life, safety and property should be taken immediately".
"Monitoring is underway to further evaluate the tsunami threat".
A tsunami warning has been issued following the quake.
A quake witness said it rattled windows in the Honduran capital.
Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said authorities had activated the country's emergency system, but urged people to "please remain calm."
"Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1,000 kilometers of the earthquake epicenter," the US National Weather Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
The USGS's PAGER algorithm assigned the event a "green alert," meaning a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist," it said.
