MEXICO CITY, Jan. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- A strong earthquake occurred in the Gulf of California off the Mexico coast early on Wednesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey's website reported.

   The quake occurred at about 2:32 a.m. local time (0832 GMT), with the epicenter lying some 89 km northeast of Santa Rosalia, Baja California. So far there have been no reports of any damage or injuries, the website said.

   The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which put the quake's magnitude at 7.0 on the Richter scale, said on its website that based on historical earthquake and tsunami data, no destructive Pacific-wide tsunami threat existed.

   The Gulf of California separates the Baja California peninsula from the northern Mexican mainland, and the earthquake affected region is sparsely populated. Enditem