Two dead, 23 hurt in Boston Marathon blasts

President Obama notified about the incident.

BOSTON:

At least two people were killed and 23 wounded when two explosions struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, sparking scenes of panic, police said.

The streets were littered with debris and blood and paramedics raced off with stretchers as police locked down the area, witness said. TV footage showed an explosion sending up a white plume of smoke along the sidelines of the race.

Boston police confirmed the toll of dead and wounded on its Twitter feed.

Local radio said the first explosion took place near a sports store and the second went off near a viewing stand. It was not immediately clear whether the explosions were accidental or the result of a terrorist attack.

“There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today’s Boston Marathon,” race organisers said on the event’s Facebook page, without providing a source for the information. “We are working with law enforcement to understand what exactly has happened,” it said.

NBC News, citing officials, later reported that police had found “multiple explosive devices” in Boston.

President Obama was notified about the incident, and his administration was in contact with state and local authorities, a White House official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.=