Three dead, over 100 hurt in Boston Marathon blasts
Two bomb blasts struck one of America's top sporting events Monday, killing at least three and wounding more than 100 as the Boston Marathon erupted in a maelstrom of blood, screams, smoke and panic. The twin explosions 13 seconds apart came more than a decade after nearly 3,000 people were killed in suicide airliner strikes on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. President Barack Obama went on national television to warn against "jumping to conclusions" but a senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such an attack was "clearly an act of terror." Special agent Rick DesLauriers, who heads the FBI's Boston bureau, told reporters: "It is a criminal investigation that is a potential terrorist investigation." Security was stepped up in major cities across the United States amid fears of a repeat of the September 11 attacks. Obama said those behind the blasts will "feel the full weight of justice." At the blast scene, a horrific chorus of high-pitched wailing and screaming rang out as bewildered runners and spectators fled the carnage and debris. An eight-year-old boy was reportedly among the dead. The Boston Globe identified him as Martin Richard, whose father William was running in the race. His mother and a sister were gravely injured while a second sister was unharmed. More than 100 people were wounded, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick said, without giving an exact figure. The Globe said more than 140 were hurt. Surgeons worked into the night on the wounded from the two powerful blasts, which were about 100 yards (metres) from each other. Police and doctors quoted by US media said ball bearings had been packed into the bombs causing horrific injuries. Some people had arms and legs torn off at the scene. Several victims had "traumatic amputations" at the race medical tent or in hospitals, said Alasdair Conn, head of emergency medicine at the city's Massachusetts General Hospital. Five other hospitals were also used for the victims. More than 27,000 runners participated in the 26.2 mile (42 kilometer) race that is one of the world's most prestigious marathons. Tens of thousands of people were packed around the finish. Secretary of State John Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator who has often fired the starting gun for the wheelchair portion of the race, was informed of the explosions as he returned from a 10-day trip, a senior state department official said. The blast and clouds of smoke tore through crowds on Boston's Boylston Street and blew out nearby shop windows. Streets around the bomb sites were kept closed as forensic experts moved in. Video footage on American TV showed the detonation behind a row of national flags. One 78-year-old runner was blown to the ground and many bloodied spectators were pushed by the force of the blast through barriers onto the street. Bill Iffrig, the runner who fell, said "the shockwave must have hit me. My legs felt like noodles." But he got up and walked away again and told his story to many US media. But other witnesses near the bombs told how bodies had been piled up on top of each other. "We saw people with their legs blown off," Mark Hagopian, owner of the Charlesmark Hotel, told AFP from the basement of a restaurant where he had sought shelter. "A person next to me had his legs blown off at the knee -- he was still alive." "It was very loud. You could feel the ground shake," added Dan Lamparello, another witness. NBC News, citing officials, reported that police had found "multiple explosive devices" in Boston, raising the possibility of a coordinated attack. No group has claimed responsibility so far for the incident, and at least one group, the Pakistani Taliban, which claimed the 2010 Times Square bomb plot, denied being involved. "We believe in attacking US and its allies but we are not involved in this attack," Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP. US media reported that police were talking to a 20-year-old Saudi man who was near the scene of the explosion, but authorities have emphasized that they have made no arrests and were questioning many people. Meanwhile, police warned there would be heightened security around Boston on Tuesday with random checks of backpacks and bags on buses and commuter trains. Many streets would also remain closed. Governor Patrick said late Monday "the city of Boston is open and will be open tomorrow, but it will not be business as usual." Security was stepped up in New York and Washington -- both sites of 9/11 attacks -- as well as in Los Angeles and San Francisco. New York police boosted security at hotels and other city landmarks. The Boston blasts rattled US markets, sending the Dow and the S&P 500 down at the close. The national flag over the white dome of the US Capitol in Washington was lowered to half-mast in honor of the blast victims.
