By Ria Novosti. Europe, 07:30 AM IST

Tegucigalpa (Honduras), May 29 (EFE) At least four people were killed Thursday in a powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale in northwest Honduras.

Buildings and homes of people were damaged at several places on the Caribbean coast, where the impact of the quake was most severe.

The devastation could have been far more serious, if a hydroelectric dam situated in the quake-hit Cortes province would have broken.

By Ria Novosti (Staff Writer, © IANS)