Google has made its person finder service available in Japanese, after a 8.9-magnitude earthquake off the country’s east coast triggered a 10-metre tsunami.
The service allows users to both request and post information about the safety of loved ones missing as a result of natural disasters.
Google has made the service available in Japanese after large tsunamis hit Japan along a 2,100km stretch of its eastern shore, impacting dozens of its cities.
Google Person Finder was originally launched after the 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch in New Zealand recently.
Google’s crisis centre
Google has also launched an online crisis centre, providing real time updates on the disaster.
Along with the link to the Person Finder, there are also links to official advisories, bulletin boards discussing the crisis and information on the status of transport and electricty services in Japan.
There is also a map pinpointing the areas most affected by the earthquake and tsunami, a widget for news, Youtube videos and a list of real-time Twitter updates from those currently in the country.
Irish crisis centre
In Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs has set up a crisis centre to allow people to find out details on their loved ones currently in Japan.
They are also appealing to Irish people in Japan to contact them to let them know that they’re safe.
Those affected can ring the crisis centre at +353 (0)1 408 2000 for more information or email the Tokyo Embassy at tokyoembassy@dfa.ie.
