Orlando shooting triggers Facebook ‘Safety Check’ for the first time in US

The Safety Check, first introduced in October 2014, allows Facebook users to spread the word that they are safe in wake of a natural disaster or a crisis, and allows searches for those who might be in the affected area.

Orlando (did not want to provide his last name) who was injured in the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub cries as he attends a memorial service for the victims of the terror attack where Omar Mateen allegedly killed more than 50 people on June 12, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. (AFP)

Facebook Inc activated its "Safety Check" function on Sunday for the first time in the United States after a gunman massacred 50 people at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

The Safety Check, first introduced in October 2014, allows Facebook users to spread the word that they are safe in wake of a natural disaster or a crisis, and allows searches for those who might be in the affected area.

"Waking up this morning, I was horrified to hear about the shooting in Orlando. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the LGBT community," said Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on his official account.

A gunman armed with an assault rifle killed 50 people at a packed gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday in the worst mass shooting in US history. Police killed the shooter at the Pulse nightclub, who was identified as Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old Florida resident and US citizen.

The incident quickly emerged as a top trending topic on Facebook and Twitter with hashtag #PrayforOrlando being one of the top posts throughout the day.

Last year, Facebook vowed to turn on the Safety Check more often during disasters in response to criticism that it enabled the function after Islamic State militant attacks on Paris and not a day earlier when a bomb killed at least 43 people in Beirut.