Boston Marathon Bomb Attack?!?!?

[Gob]

Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon race have left an unknown number of people injured.

Video and photographs from Boston show a scene of confusion, with emergency services descending on the scene and bloodied spectators being taken to a medical tent.

"There are a lot of people down," said one runner quoted by AP news agency.

The incident reportedly came about three hours after the winners crossed the line.

"There was an explosion, police, fire and EMS are on the scene. We have no indication of how many people are injured," spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department said.

AP said there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the bridge that marks the finish line. Another loud explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

Mike Mitchell of Vancouver, Canada, a runner who had finished the race said he was looking back at the finish line and saw a "massive explosion."

Smoke rose 50ft (15m) in the air, he told Reuters news agency, and people began running away and screaming after hearing the noise.

"Everybody freaked out," he said.

Stragglers heading for the finish line were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts as the scene was locked down.

The Eastern Massachusetts branch of the Red Cross has set up a disaster response centre in the area.

[Gob]

injured.
Video and photographs from Boston show a scene of confusion, with emergency services descending on the scene and bloodied spectators being taken to a medical tent.
"There are a lot of people down," said one runner quoted by AP news agency.

Live nowBBC News coverage of Boston explosions
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Emergency services

Emergency services at the scene in Boston
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CNN reports that four victims of the explosions are at emergency room at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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One witness, Laura McLean tells AP: "There are people who are really, really bloody."

She was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions.
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Zara Bielkus, a 30-year-old spectator from Boston, tells AFP news agency she heard two explosions seconds apart. Police then locked down the area.

"When we heard them, everyone looked at each other and went very quiet, and within a minute police came," she says.
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New York Police are deploying counter-terrorism police around Manhattan landmarks, reports say. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said police were stepping up security in response to the Boston blasts.
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Mr Mitchell said people began running and screaming after hearing the noise.

"Everybody freaked out," he said.
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Mike Mitchell of Vancouver, Canada, a runner who had finished the race told the Reuters news agency he was looking back at the finish line and saw a "massive explosion."

Smoke rose 50 feet (15 metres) in the air, he said.

RedCrossEasternMA The American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts

tweets: Please check in with friends & family who were at the #BostonMarathon #BostonMarathon2013. Reconnect. Spread the word make sure ppl are safe
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The Eastern Massachusetts branch of the Red Cross has set up a disaster response centre in the area.
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The incident reportedly came about three hours after the winners crossed the line.

AP news agency reported there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the bridge that marks the finish line. Another loud explosion could be heard a few seconds later.
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Video and photographs from Boston show a scene of confusion, with emergency services descending on the scene and bloodied spectators being taken to a medical tent.
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Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon have left an unknown number of people injured.

[oldr_n_wsr]

I'm betting a homegrown deranged psychopath.
Hope everyone pulls through.
Wonder if Guin has any insight.

ETA
Hope she wasn't there.

[Lord Jim]

Whoever did this, it was obviously well planned, and they had to have a fairly good level of explosives expertise. (To get the size blasts involved out of devices that must have been relatively small to go undetected given the level of police presence, and to get the timing as precise as it was.)

[Jarlaxle]

I'm listening to live coverage... multiple trash can bombs some of which did not go off. I'm also hearing reports of an undead needed bomb in Charlestown.

[dales]

Removed by dales due to stupid insensitivity.

[Guinevere]

2 dead, 2 dozen injuries, Copley Square and the whole area evacuated, at least two more undetonated bombs found, and a bomb? went off at the JFK Library about 30 minutes after the Marathon explosions. The photos are horrific -- calculated to do immense damage, blood everywhere, and reports of people missing limbs. The Governor just referred to it as an attack, work now to sweep the city and make it safe, and identify how it all happened. Next presser at 7PM

All my friends running, volunteering, and spectating are safe and accounted for, thank god, but I am sick to my stomach and in tears for my city. This is such a beautiful, joyous day in Boston -- one of my favorite of the year. I've been too busy to attend the race this year, and working at home so I'm safe and sound, but none of us are ok.

[Guinevere]

Cell phone service shut down in Boston, to avoid remote detonation of any further devices.

My Swede is in a meeting in the city today, with clients and others who came in from Europe. I haven't heard from him yet (and now might not be able to with phone shut down), he's away from the immediate chaos of the Back Bay, right between the finish line and the JFK library, and getting anywhere in (or out of) town tonight won't be easy.

[Gob]

Thinking of you Guin, I hope your partner is in touch soon.

[Lord Jim]

Glad you're safe Guin.

[Gob]

Investigators have a suspect — a Saudi Arabian national — in the horrific Boston Marathon bombings, The Post has learned.

Law enforcement sources said the 20-year-old suspect was under guard at an undisclosed Boston hospital.

It was not immediately clear why the man was hospitalized and whether he was injured in the attack or in his apprehension.

The man was caught less than two hours after the 2:50 p.m. bombing on the finish line of the race, in the heart of Boston.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/a ... PDGIjYBalO

[Lord Jim]

None of the cable news stations is reporting that....

We'll have to see, but when something like this happens there are always erroneous reports in the first few hours...( the blast at the JFK Library was originally reported as something completely unrelated, having to do with the electrical system)

Lot's of times people will also get swept up into custody, and it will turn out they had nothing to do with what happened.

[Gob]

Fair comment Jim.


BBC Video of one of the explosions here, (Warning: not nice.)

[Guinevere]

I just saw a report that police were gathering at one of the Boston hospitals -- no real reasons why -- so perhaps they think they have someone. Certainly lots of photos of the event, not to mention live video feed from multiple angles. Its the biggest day of the year here.

My Swede is safe and sound and out of the city so we could talk. Whew.

[Gob]

Just seen this on the BBC;

BOSTON MAYOR'S HOTLINE FOR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES

+1 617 635 4500

[Gob]

That's great news Guin, I feel your relief!

[Lord Jim]

Now Chris Mathews on MSNBC is saying that he talked to the director of the library, and that what happened there wasn't a bomb...

This is very peculiar, because even though initial reports frequently are wrong, the report that it was a bomb came directly from the police commissioner in his press conference...(even though he also said that he couldn't confirm that it was definitely related to the other two blasts.)

The authorities don't usually make public statements like that in a formal press conference unless they are damn sure of the facts...

[Guinevere]

He just said, in conference right now, it was an incendiary device and they don't know if it was related.

Also questions about heavy police presence at hospitals, he said lots of police everywhere, and don't ready anything in to it.

[Guinevere]

The only on-line sources for the "saudi suspect" are, ahem, rather incendiary themselves. We shall see. Let the police do their work.

[Guinevere]

At Brigham & Women's Hospital.Armed guards posted outside the ER which is in lockdown.

— Mark Katic (@MarkKWBZ) April 15, 2013

From the Boston.com live blog.