Paris Terrorist Attacks Leave At Least 160 Dead; Facebook Safety Check Tool Launched For Affected Users
Coordinated Paris terrorist attacks leave more than 160 people dead and hundreds more injured, according to CNN. Armed men and suicide bombers attacked multiple locations, causing widespread panic in the French capital.
On Friday evening, armed men detonated explosive vests in a packed concert venue. Almost at the same time, a suicide bombing attack happened outside Stade de France, where a soccer match between France and Germany was being played, sources stated.
Simultaneously, gunmen opened fire at diners in Le Petit Cambodge, a Cambodian restaurant in the 10th arrondissement, as reported by The Daily Beast.
Of these Paris terrorist attacks, the worst was at the Bataclan concert hall, where the American band "Eagles of Death Metal" was playing. CNN reports that at least 112 died, mostly from detonated explosive vests. Armed men dressed in black sustained fire for 10 to 15 minutes. When the wounded fell to the floor, they were shot again, execution-style.
French President Francois Hollande closed the country's borders and issued a state of emergency in the capital, according to NBC News. All Paris residents are ordered to stay indoors, and authorities are authorized to close places of public assembly, confiscate weapons, and conduct searches to anyone considered dangerous.
In response to the deadly Paris terrorist attacks, Facebook
activated its "Safety Check" tool. Facebook users who were in Paris at that time are able to notify their friends and family that they were safe, according to Time. The tool asks users if they are in the affected area, determined by their specified location on the social networking site. If they are, they can "mark" themselves "safe," and this will notify their Facebook friends.
The Safety Check tool was launched in 2014, but was mostly used for natural disasters. This was the first time that it was made available for a non-natural disaster occurrence, according to CNNMoney.
