Smart disaster alert for phones in capital

Beijing municipal government has launched a disaster alert app for smartphones, which will inform users of disasters and public emergencies within two minutes, Beijing News reported Monday.

Alerts for 29 kinds of disasters and emergencies issued by ten different government departments will be disseminated through the application, including weather forecasts, flood and fire warnings. Traffic guidelines amid emergent traffic controls will also be issued.

The application for both iPhone and Android can be downloaded for free on Beijing government's Chinese website, http://www.beijing.gov.cn/zhuanti/bjfwn/.