Facebook activates safety check for the Manipur quakeMumbai, Jan 4(AZINS) Manipur was the epicenter of an earthquake this morning, measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale. The death toll stands at 5 with over 50 injured, and several buildings have developed cracks in the aftermath of the quake. To help people in the area notify of their well being, Facebook has activated their Safety Check tool.

This tool, introduced in October 2014, was first activated during the Nepal earthquakes of April last year. It effectively lets Facebook users mark themselves as being safe, so their connected friends and family are aware of their condition during times of natural and man-made calamities.

This feature is especially useful, given that most other conventional communication lines--including telephone networks--could be non-functional during such times within the affected areas.

The Manipur earthquake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter Scale, occurred at 4.35 AM at a depth of 17 km beneath the ground with the being located at the Tamenglong district of Manipur.

If you happen to be in the area and want to update your Facebook connections about about your safety, use the Safety Check tool here. You can also use this link to check on the status of friends and family who may be in the area.