An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale has struck off the Caribbean island of Barbados.

The quake hit at 9:27am local time and people called radio stations to report it, according to the Daily Nation newspaper.

Its epicentre was 126 miles northeast of the capital Bridgetown, at a depth of 20 miles.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Barbados, or the nearby islands of Martinique and St. Lucia.

So far no tsunami alert has been issued.

A Reuters reporter in Barbados said the earthquake did not immediately appear to have had any notable impact in Bridgetown.