Facebook activated its Safety Check tool in the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 65 people on Sunday - but a glitch asked users nowhere near the area if they had been affected by the blast.
The company apologized after the urgent notification was mistakenly sent to people in countries thousands of miles away, sparking fear and confusion online.
'Are you OK?' the message read. 'It looks like you're in the area affected by The Explosion in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan. Let friends know that you're safe.'
Some people whose phone numbers are linked to their Facebook accounts also received the alert through text message.
The social network launched the feature in October 2014 so users caught up in disaster-struck areas would be able to quickly let family and friends know they area safe.
In recent months, Safety Check has been activated several times, including during the floods in Chennai (India), after earthquakes in northeast India and southern Taiwan, and after terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Yola, and Ankara.
