At least two explosions detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
The Boston Police Department has confirmed two dead, with 23 others injured. According to the Associated Press, a senior U.S. intelligence official said two other explosive devices found nearby, but were being dismantled.
Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis asked people to stay indoors or go back to their hotel rooms and avoid crowds as bomb squads checked parcels and bags left along the race route.
Police were basically pleading with everybody to get out of the way,” said Curt Nickisch of WBUR.
Video of the explosions:
About two hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another explosion could be heard a few seconds later.
“Fortunately, the explosions happened very late in the race,” Nickisch said. “This was hours after the winners went through and the crowd of runners was thinning out pretty well, so it wasn’t as densely packed.”
The Boston Marathon said that bombs caused the two explosions and that organizers were working with authorities to determine what happened. The Boston Police Department said two people were killed and 23 others injured. At least eight of the wounded were in critical condition, according to hospitals.
A senior U.S. intelligence official said the two other explosive devices found nearby were being dismantled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the findings publicly.
A third explosion was heard about an hour after the first two after authorities warned spectators to expect a loud noise from a water cannon that police apparently were using to destroy one of the devices.
Competitors and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Authorities went onto the course to carry away the injured while race stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site.
Roupen Bastajian, a 35-year-old state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., had just finished the race when they put the heat blanket wrap on him and he heard the first blast.
“I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor,” he said. “We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. … At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing.”
A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.
“There are a lot of people down,” said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg.
Smoke rose from the blasts, fluttering through the national flags lining the route of the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.
Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.
“I was expecting my husband any minute,” she said. “I don’t know what this building is … it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don’t know what it was. I just ducked.”
Runners who had not finished the race were diverted straight down Commonwealth Avenue and into a family meeting area, according to an emergency plan that had been in place.
President Barack Obama was briefed on the explosions by Homeland Security adviser Lisa Monaco. Obama also told Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick that his administration would provide whatever support was needed, the White House said.
Flights out of Boston Logan Airport were briefly put on ground stop.
The Red Cross set up a place for family members and loved ones to connect. Find it at this link.
Google has also stepped in to help family and friends of Boston Marathon runners find their loved ones after explosions near the finish line.
The site, called Google Person Finder, allows users to enter the name of a person they’re looking for or enter information about someone who is there.
Cellphone use has been difficult in the Boston area. There are conflicting reports as to whether cell service was shut down or networks were overwhelmed.
UPDATE: (3:09 p.m. PST)
A law enforcement official, citing an intelligence briefing, said cellphone service had been shut down Monday in the Boston area to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives.
But officials with Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel said there had been no such requests.
Sprint spokeswoman Crystal Davis said: “Minus some mild call blocking on our Boston network due to increased traffic, our service is operating normally.”
Audio from the police scanner at the time of the explosions:
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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