Facebook has apologised for a "terrible error" which led to users - including founder Mark Zuckerberg - being "killed off" on the site by a technical glitch.

Profiles affected by the problem yesterday displayed a memorial message which hoped the users' loved ones would "find comfort in the things others share to remember and celebrate" their lives.

Known as "memorialising", the error, which was reportedly quickly fixed, even saw the profile of Facebook's own CEO, Mr Zuckerberg, displaying the message.

A Facebook spokesman told the BBC: "This was a terrible error that we have now fixed. We are very sorry that this happened."

In 2015, the social networking site introduced the option to memorialise a profile, which allows a trusted friend or family member to take control of a user's profile after they die.

Once Facebook is notified of a user's death, the profile is then memorialised.

The designated trustee is able to post a message to appear at the top of the timeline as well as to respond to new friend requests and change the profile and cover photos.

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