By Gustavo Palencia
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck off the northeast coast of Honduras early on Thursday, knocking down some houses in a northern town and sparking a tsunami watch for Central America's Caribbean area.
There was no immediate report of casualties.
The quake hit 39 miles (64 km) northeast of the island of Roatan, popular with scuba divers, and had a shallow depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).
Emergency services workers on Roatan said the quake had knocked out power but structural damage appeared to be minor.
In the town of Santa Barbara, in northwest Honduras, a handful of houses collapsed. Some people ran into the street and the power was cut in some areas, Honduran radio said.
Honduras Security Ministry spokesman Hector Mejia said there were no immediate reports of deaths, but the tremor knocked radios and televisions to the floor in homes in La Lima, about 100 miles (160 km) north of the capital Tegucigalpa.
A 7.1 magnitude quake can cause serious damage over a wide area.
The tsunami watch was in effect for Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. There was a possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts up to than 62 miles (100 km) from the earthquake's epicentre.
Other countries within and bordering the Caribbean sea should take note of the warning, the centre said.
The quake, which struck at 02:24 local time (9:24 a.m. British time) when most people were asleep in bed, was initially reported having a 7.4 magnitude.
Honduras is a largely impoverished country of around 7 million people with few high-rise buildings and a limited tourist industry.
The Caribbean island of Roatan, close to the world's second-largest coral reef, is a resort area popular for its scuba diving, snorkelling and dolphin watching.
(Additional reporting by Cyntia Barrera Diaz, editing by Philip Barbara)