14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook activated its Safety Check feature for people in London following the events that took place on Wednesday afternoon when a suspected terrorist ran a car into pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer as he tried to get into the House of Parliament in Westminster.
Safety check is a feature that was introduced back in October 2014 and allows people to inform their friends and family that they're safe following a disaster or other incident, such as terrorist attacks or a large accident. For instance, the last time Safety Check was activated in London was back in 2016 when a tram crash took place in Croydon.
The Met Police were called to Westminster Bridge this afternoon after a car crashed into railings and gunshots were heard outside the Parliament. It was soon discovered that the car had crashed into pedestrians before the driver got out of the car and headed for one of the entrances of the Parliament where he stabbed a police officer before being taken down.
Attack with casualties
Four people died as a result of the attack, including the police officer, and another 20 people were injured. Half of these individuals were treated right at the scene.
The area around the Houses of Parliament was placed on lockdown, and tube stations around the area were closed. As police remain vigilant, people are invited by Facebook to mark themselves as "safe" online, so their dear ones know not to worry too much about them right now.
A few weeks ago, Facebook announced that it was expanding the Safety Check feature to include the option to offer help to those in need in times of disaster. This could particularly come in handy when wildfire takes over, or when earthquakes leave people without a home and in need of a roof over their heads.