Thursday 28 May 2009

Tsunami Alert Called Off


A tsunami watch in place for three Central American countries after a 7.1 magnitude quake struck off Honduras has been called off.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the danger of a tsunami hitting Belize, Guatemala and Honduras had now passed.
The powerful quake hit 64km (39 miles) north-east of Roatan on Honduras' Isles de la Bahia in the Caribbean Sea, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or mass casualties.
The quake struck at 0324 local time (0824 GMT) at a relatively shallow depth of 10km(six miles).
Tremors were felt in dozens of cities across the region and as far north as Cancun in Mexico, the USGS said.
People in Guatemala City ran into the streets in their pyjamas, the Associated Press news agency reports.
The Pacific Warning Center in Hawaii said that the danger of a major tsunami wave hitting the coastlines of nearby countries had now passed.
But it warned that boats and coastal structures could still be affected by rapid currents caused by the quake.

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