The central portion of the Democracy Bridge, which spans the largest river in Honduras, the Ulua, collapsed in El Progreso after a strong earthquake rocked the country Thursday. ((Associated Press))

A powerful earthquake toppled more than two dozen homes in Honduras and Belize early Thursday, killing at least six people and injuring 40 as terrified residents spilled from their homes across much of Central America.

The epicentre of the 7.1-magnitude earthquake was about 64 kilometres northeast of the popular Caribbean resort area, Roatan, in Islas de la Bahia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake had a depth of about 10 km — which is considered to be shallow — according to the geological survey. A magnitude-4.8 aftershock also struck about three hours after the quake.

Hotel employees on the islands of Roatan and Util — which were closest to the epicentre — reported the tremor sent water sloshing out of resort pools.

"People were running for the door," Alfredo Cedeno said from the reception desk at the Gran Hotel Paris in La Ceiba. "You could really feel it and you could see it."

"I thought the second floor was going to collapse it was shaking so hard," a hotel guest told The Associated Press.

Though the tremors were felt as far away as Guatemala and sent people running into the streets of Guatemala City as the quake rocked the country at about 2:24 a.m. local time, officials said that there didn't appear to be any major damage in the country.

(CBC)

Maria Rivera, a spokeswoman with Honduras's emergency commission, said that major damages caused by the quake are beginning to be reported in the coastal areas.

"The quake was felt in almost the entire country," she said.

Emergency services officials said a 15-year-old boy died in the town of La Lima, about 160 kilometres north of the capital Tegucigalpa, when the ceiling of his house collapsed. Two of the boy's relatives were also injured.

A six-year-old girl also died when a beach-home in Morazan collapsed.

There are also two unconfirmed reports of two children dying in another coastal community, officials said.

Emergency officials described the earthquake as one of "great proportions." The death toll is expected to rise as reports from the mountainous region near the coast begin to come in, officials said.

Rivera said wooden homes collapsed in Puerto Cortes, a stadium wall in Comayagua and that a bridge across the Ulua River has been severely damaged.

In Santa Barbara, in the northwest part of the country, the ceiling of a historic colonial church collapsed.

Several industrial buildings along the coast have also sustained damage.

"Dozens of workers have been evacuated from factories in San Pedro Sula because the buildings have cracks," said Carlos Gonzalez, deputy director of Honduras's Permanent Emergency Commission. "There are cracks in the roads in several cities."

A water tower toppled over in the town of Independence in Belize and electricity was knocked out through much of the country, said country officials. Homes were also being reported destroyed.

'Remain calm'

"I urge you not to panic, but to remain calm," Melvin Hulse, national emergency minister, said on the radio. "Your government is monitoring the situation and will be keeping you informed."

Though officials said that the earthquake was also strongly felt in El Salvador or Nicaragua, there were no reported damages.

The quake occurred in a region where the North American and Caribbean plates come together, according to Gonzalo Cruz, head of geophysics at Honduras's National Autonomous University.

The quake has resulted in the Pacific Tsunami Warning centre issuing tsunami warnings for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. But after no waves were reported by the islands closest to the epicentre in the two hours following the quake, the warning was cancelled.

But "danger to boats and coastal structures can continue for several hours due to rapid currents," the warning centre said.