A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Central American country of Honduras on Thursday, killing at least four people and causing tremors and damage throughout the nation and neighboring Guatemala. Officials expected the death toll to rise as information comes in from across the country. The Associated Press reported damage throughout the country's north and said the quake sparked a brief tsunami alert for Central America's Caribbean coast. A tsunami watch was issued for Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but it was lifted about an hour later. The four fatalities were all children between the ages of 3 and 15, who were killed when their homes collapsed. The earthquake hit 39 miles northeast of Roatan, the biggest of the country's three islands, which are popular with tourists. The quake knocked out electricity in two towns in eastern Guatemala and another town in the same area was cut off due to damaged roads, AP said.
