Facebook has announced its new Safety Check feature, Digital Spy said.

The social networking site has introduced the feature to allow users to let their family and friends know that they are safe in the wake of a major disaster or crisis.

The tool uses the city listed in a user's profile, their last known location, and the city where they are using the internet to determine if they may be in a danger zone.

Safety Check allows people to check on others in the affected area and mark friends as safe.

Facebook explained in a statement: "In times of disaster or crisis, people turn to Facebook to check on loved ones and get updates.

"It is in these moments that communication is most critical both for people in the affected areas and for their friends and families anxious for news.

"We want to provide a helpful tool that people can use when major disasters strike, so we've created Safety Check - a simple and easy way to say you're safe and check on others."

The social networking site was inspired by the way people used technology and social media in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.