MOTHER NATURE

7.6-Magnitude Quake Hits in Caribbean Near Honduras

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean Sea north of Honduras late Tuesday, sparking tsunami fears for the already storm-battered Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor struck in the sea about 125 miles from Barra Patuca, Honduras. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage on land. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had initially issued tsunami advisories for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Jamaica, but later said there appeared to be no danger of a tsunami. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said the country had activated its emergency system in the wake of the earthquake, which was reportedly felt hundreds of miles from its epicenter, rattling windows in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa and shaking parts of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.