The app was developed by researchers in Spain
It's meant to help find stranded people during an emergency
App makes the phone emit a Wi-Fi signal that can be detected
Scientists have developed a smartphone app that can be used in emergency situations arising due to earthquakes, floods or forest fires, where mobile phone infrastructure is often rendered useless.

The system created by researchers at the Universidad de Alicante (UA) in Spain makes it possible to locate people who have suffered an accident in remote locations without a phone signal and where a speedy rescue is essential to save lives.

"We have designed an application (app) that can be incorporated to any smartphone and that, without a signal, emits a Wifi signal which in turn acts as a distress beacon over a distance of several kilometres," said Jose Angel Berna, creator of the technology and professor at UA.

This signal contains the location (coordinates) of the person who has suffered the accident or disappeared and is using the smartphone emitter, along with a short message that can be altered depending on the situation, with examples such as "I am injured," "I am disorientated," or "I need help," said Berna.