Honduras rocked by 7.1 magnitude quake killing four children

"We have confirmed four dead," Randolfo Funes, a top official at Honduras' civil protection agency, told Reuters. "There will be many more dead."

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck 39 miles (64 km) northeast off the coast of Roatan, an island in the Islas de la Bahia, and had a shallow depth, 6.2 miles (10 km).

A tsunami watch is in effect for Hondura, Belize, and Guatemala, Reuters reported the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center as saying.

There was a possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts no more than 62 miles (100 km) from the epicenter of the earthquake, the center said, adding that other countries within and bordering the Caribbean Sea should take note of the warning.

 The quake, which struck at 0824 GMT, was originally reported to have a 7.4 magnitude.

Roatan is a large Caribbean resort island popular for scuba diving, snorkeling and dolphin-watching.