The Boston Marathon was interrupted this afternoon by multiple large explosions, killing at least two attendees and injuring dozens more, according to the Boston Police Department.
The New York Post is reporting that as many as a dozen have been killed, with fifty injured, but other outlets are currently more conservative in their estimates.
The three blasts, which took place near the marathon’s finish line, occurred about four hours after the start of the men’s race, according to The New York Times. The Associated Press reported that additional explosive devices were found near the event and are being dismantled.
“There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today’s Boston Marathon,” the organizing body behind the race said today on their Facebook page. Runners and spectators have been redirected from the blast area as law enforcement officials secured the scene.
Initial accounts described the devastation as extremely serious. “It was huge. There had to be people killed. There had to be,” a witness told the The Boston Globe. Another said there was “blood everywhere.”
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued a statement earlier today, urging people to stay away from the area.
“This is a horrific day in Boston. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the President, Mayor Menino and our public safety leaders,” he said.
“Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”
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