Google launches tool to locate earthquake victims

Search engine giant says 'Person Finder' launched to help track missing persons for Pakistan, Afghanistan

In the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck Pakistan and Afghanistan, Google has launched a person finder allowing individuals to post and search for their families.

“Person Finder launched to help track missing persons for Pakistan, Afghanistan,” the search engine giant said on Twitter.

Person Finder launched to help track missing persons for Pakistan, Afghanistan #earthquake → https://t.co/PwWtVhDi4l pic.twitter.com/fkyOnwAFqW

— Google (@Google) October 26, 2015

140 killed in Pakistan as 7.5-magnitude earthquake strikes

As the 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck, the death toll is feared to climb in the coming days because communications were down in much of the rugged Hindu Kush mountain range area where the quake was centred.

According to Google India Blog, if someone is worried about their loved ones in a disaster affected area, they can use the “I’m Looking for Someone” option on the web tool by typing in the name of the person they want to find.

Alternatively, if someone wants to provide information about themselves or someone they have information about, they can use the “I have information about someone” option in the web application and provide names and details.



Google’s tool has been used time and again in disaster-hit areas to post and search for information about each other’s status and whereabouts, and was created by volunteer Google engineers in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The application was made available in Pakistan during the 2010 floods. However, it was not know whether the service has been made available in Pakistan as floods once again ravage through upper Punjab.