Google on Tuesday launched a new SOS alert feature to its Search and Maps apps to help users get live updates about crises that might have occurred around them, reported Tech Crunch. During a natural disaster or similar crisis, an SOS alert will pop up at the top of search results when one is looking for the incident or the area affected.

Apart from the SOS message, people can also find maps, top stories and information such as emergency phone numbers and websites. Users who are near the location of the crisis can also get notifications on their mobile phones. “In situations of crisis, the need for information is crucial,” Yossi Matias, Google’s vice president of engineering, told BBC. “People need to know what’s going on – anything that may be related to their safety, or any action they should be taking.”

However, it will apply to only 12 countries as of now, according to BBC. These include United States, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and Canada. Plans are on to cover the United Kingdom and other European nations soon.