Brussels explosions: Facebook activates safety check feature

Facebook has activated its safety check feature in the wake of Brussels attacks.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at Brussels airport on Tuesday killing at least 11 people and a further blast tore through a rush-hour metro train in the capital shortly afterwards, claiming 10 lives, according to public broadcaster VRT.

All public transport in Brussels was shut down, as it was in London during 2005 militant attacks on the underground that killed 52. A further 225 soldiers were sent into the city and the Belgian Crisis Centre, clearly wary of a further incident, appealed to the population: "Stay where you are".

The crisis Centre in Belgium has requested to not flood the networks by trying to call. They are advised to use social media, texts.

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.

If you happen to be in the area and want to update your Facebook connections 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.

(With agency inputs)