Haiti earthquake: News updates

Look here for news updates on the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti.

1:21 p.m. -- With phone lines down and communication cut, Haitians living in U.S. are "sick with worry." State Department line for those seeking information about loved ones: 1-888-407-4747. Full story

1:15 p.m. -- From Anderson Cooper in Port-au-Prince: "The only thing to compare it to is Hurricane Katrina. But in the last 30 minutes -- or the last hour that I've been driving, I've seen probably 20 to 25 bodies on the streets. And that's just on the main avenues in downtown Port-au-Prince."

1 p.m. -- 40,000-45,000 Americans in Haiti, the U.S. State Department says. The Embassy has been in touch with about 40. No confirmed deaths. About a dozen injured. "Clearly that will go up," says Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley.

12:41 p.m. -- Photo gallery shows the destruction.

12:30 p.m. -- At least 15 U.N. peacekeepers reported dead.

12:27 p.m. -- Joseph Serge Miot, the archbishop of Port-au-Prince, died in the quake, according to the official Vatican newspaper.

12:18 p.m. -- Haiti prime minister tells CNN he believes well over 100,000 have died in earthquake.

12:12 p.m. -- Anderson Cooper says situation at airport "pretty quiet." He says small military presence from Dominican Republic is at the airport.

11:45 a.m. -- National Penitentiary collapsed and inmates escaped, prompting worries about looting by escapees.

11:35 a.m. -- Want to help? Check out Impact Your World

11:13 a.m. -- Fabiola Surena shared photos of her parents' home and her aunt and uncle's property in Debussy, Haiti -- both areas are severely damaged. Aunt and uncle's property; Parents' home

11:07 a.m. -- Catholic Relief Services staff member Karel Zelenka provided this account via e-mail. "Damage incredible all around ... Some major buildings are gone -- the hotel Montana, the National Palace etc... People have been screaming and chanting all over the place ... It is a disaster of the century, we should be prepared for thousands and thousands of dead and injured."

11:03 a.m. -- 50-member Chinese rescue team ready to depart for Haiti, China's Xinhua news agency reports.

11:01 a.m. -- More than 100 employees of U.N. mission unaccounted for.

10:45 a.m -- Read an easy-to-read guide on Haiti and its history.

10:39 a.m. -- A Haitian-American tells CNN her parents died in the quake, days after visiting her in South Florida. Full story

10:35 a.m -- Twitter is playing a critical role in collecting donations to help disaster victims, CNNMoney.com reports.

10:26 a.m. -- The people of Haiti have a friend and partner in the United States, President Obama says in concluding news conference. Watch news conference

10:24 a.m. -- USAID Administrator Raj Shah will coordinate American relief efforts, Obama says.

10:23 a.m. -- President Obama extends "deep condolences" to people of Haiti. Says he has ordered a "swift" and "coordinated" response .

10:21 a.m. -- None of three aid centers run by Doctors without Borders in Haiti is operable, the group says.

10:20 a.m. -- People of Haiti will have full support of the United States, President Obama says.

10:16 a.m. -- The main airport in Haiti appears to be operable, U.S. State Department spokesman says.

10:15 a.m. -- The U.N. Haitian mission chief and the agency's deputy special representative are unaccounted for, says U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

10:11 a.m. -- Air traffic control "is very dicey," says CNN's Anderson Cooper. While flying over Haiti, his helicopter had to make last-minute maneuver to avoid hitting another aircraft. Watch Anderson Cooper video

10:10 a.m. -- People are standing around wondering where to go, says Anderson Cooper, who flew over Haiti in a helicopter. Major buildings have collapsed -- pancaked together.

10:07 a.m. -- "It's incredibly shocking," says Anderson Cooper.

10:04 a.m. -- President of Lumiere Medical Ministries, which has been in Haiti for 25 years, tells CNN all 25 employees are fine.

9:57 a.m. -- Follow Tweets from CNN's Anderson Cooper.

9:39 a.m. -- "I heard a lot of people praying, saying that Jesus is coming, saying that we need to pray, we need to save our lives by believing in God," witness Carel Pedre tells CNN.

8:53: a.m. -- President Obama to make statement on Haiti at 10 a.m. ET.

8:41 a.m. -- The U.N. Haitian mission chief and the agency's deputy special representative are unaccounted for, says U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

8:41 a.m. -- U.S. was the first to offer help, says Haitian ambassador to the U.S.

8: 32 a.m. -- Quake "destroyed" much of Port-au-Prince, the country's first lady reported. Full story

7: 30 a.m. -- Reconnaissance flights to go over Haiti soon, says U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.

7:07 a.m. --The quake affected roughly one in three Haitians -- about 3 million people, the Red Cross estimated. Full story

4:30 a.m. -- A "large number" of people with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti were unaccounted for. Three Jordanian peacekeepers killed.

3:40 a.m. on January 13, 2009 -- Residents hunkered down for the night, awaiting daylight to ascertain full scope of devastation.

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11:45 p.m. -- "Can hear people gathered in the distance singing prayers," wrote Richard Morse, hotel manager at the Oloffson Hotel, wrote on Twitter.

10:32 p.m. -- Haiti's infrastructure world's worst even in the best of times, says country's ambassador to the U.S.

9:13 p.m. -- U.N. headquarters in Haiti collapsed, U.N. officials say.

8:45 p.m. -- Eyewitnesses report heavy damage and bodies in the streets of the capital.

7: 56 p.m. -- U.S. State Department told to expect "serious loss of life" in Haiti.

6:50 p.m. -- Tsunami watch cancelled.

5:23 p.m. -- A tsunami watch is in effect for Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

5:14 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2009 -- A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.