At least three people have been killed and more that 100 injured, in two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
TV footage showed bloodied runners and spectators being treated at the scene and the road strewn with debris. Right now, the FBI stated that this was a "potential terrorist investigation". In a TV address, President Barack Obama said "we will find out who did this" and those responsible would feel the "full weight of justice". "we don't yet have all the answers," he said. "We still do not know who did this or why."
Details of the victims have not been revealed, however the Associated Press news agency reported that an eight-year-old boy was among the dead. Quoting a family friend, the report said the boy's mother and sister were also injured as they waited for his father to finish the race.
The city mayor's office has set up an emergency hotline for friends and relatives on +1 617 635 4500.
The Federal Aviation Administration has created a no-fly zone over the area, while security at keys sites in Washington DC and New York has been tightened. Vice President Joe Biden - breaking off from telephone conference call on gun control - said: "Or prayers are with those people in Boston who have suffered injury."
A doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital said "several amputations" had been performed there.
The first explosion came at about 14:50 local time (18:50 GMT) approximately two hours after the winners crossed the line.
There was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street just before the finish line sending some runners tumbling down while others were knocked down by those rushing to the scene. Another loud explosion came soon after, and smoke rose from the scene of the blasts.
Bloodied victims were initially rushed to a medical tent set up there for fatigued runners. Emergency services descended on the scene, which was quickly locked down.
Stragglers heading for the finish line were rerouted away from the smoking site for the blasts.
A fire then broke out at the John F Kennedy presidential library a few miles away from the finish line. Police have said that it might have been caused by an incendiary device but it is unclear whether it is related to the bombings. The annual Boston Marathon this year had a field of about 23,000 runners and was watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators. It is held on Patriots Day, a Massachusetts sate holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775.
British police are reviewing security plans for Sunday's London Marathon, the next major international Marathon, following events in Boston.
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