With severe floods and landslide being reported from all parts of the island, many families and relatives are left wondering if their loved ones have reached a safe area or have been left stranded somewhere needing assistance.
The rapid floods and landslide have not only taken over 37 lives as of now, it has left thousands homeless needing assistance. The property damage is not limited to houses but has severely affected infrastructure such as roads and bridges. The power lines have been also affected disrupting essential services during this calamity period.
Modes of communication has been also severely affected due to lack of electricity in some areas as well as due to damage caused to the communication infrastructure.
Now Sri Lankans with a Facebook account are given the opportunity to mark yourself or someone you know as safe. This allows those searching for a person through Facebook to have an idea, if a person has reached safety or not.
Facebook allows users to; “Let your friends know you're OK by marking yourself safe.” As well as “Check on Friends Quickly find and connect with friends in the area. Mark them safe if you know they're OK.”
Facebook has used this safety check feature earlier in disaster situations to assist friends and families know if their loved ones have reached safety. This feature has been used during the recent Nepal earthquakes, the Paris attack, the Brussels attack, and last year during the South Indian floods.
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