Eight-year-old boy among bomb victims
Apartment searched in bomber hunt
Pakistani Taliban denies link to blasts
EXPLOSIONS which causes are yet to be identified, Monday hit Boston, Massachusetts in the United States (US) causing panic , confusion, killing two besides inuring 23.
The explosions which occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon has now forced the Federal Aviation Administration to create a no-fly zone over the area, while security at key sites in Washington DC and New York has been tightened.
The 8-year-old boy killed in the explosions at the Boston Marathon has been identified as Martin Richard, The Boston Globe reported.
The boy was at the event to watch his father race, according to TV station WHDH.
Richard's mother and 6-year-old sister were recovering in a hospital after suffering serious injuries, the TV station reported. It said the boy's mother underwent surgery for an injury to her brain and his sister lost a leg in the explosion.
Overall, three people were killed and at least 144 were hospitalized after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon on Monday afternoon.
No suspects have been identified in the case, which federal authorities are classifying as an act of terrorism.
And there was also a third blast which shattered the John F Kennedy (JFK) library in the city spoiling the carnival atmosphere of one of the biggest sporting events in the US.
Boston boasts the world's oldest annual marathon – This year's being the 117th event. It is the second biggest single-day sporting event in the US behind the Super Bowl, in terms of media coverage.
But in what may give a clues that suggests terrorist attacks, Boston's police commissioner has urged people in the city to stay indoors, and not congregate in large groups.
Authorities including bomb experts searched an apartment in Revere, Massachusetts, and removed items, after two deadly bombs struck the Boston Marathon. But investigators remained mum about just how the search may be linked to the bombing investigation.
The search late Monday involved a "person of interest," the Revere Fire Department said on its Facebook page. The FBI; the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; immigration officials, state and local police, detectives and bomb techs all took part, the fire department said.
The search, just north of Boston, took place with consent, so no search warrant was needed, a federal law enforcement official told CNN.
Tiny clues may help lead to who was behind the terrorist attack that killed three people and wounded 144. Investigators are beginning the painstaking process of piecing through fragments for anything that could indicate the "signature," said a federal law enforcement official who works in the intelligence community.
Unexploded devices that were recovered could also provide a treasure trove of information such as fingerprints and indications of how the exploded bombs were designed, the official said.
The Pakistani Taliban denied any involvement in a double bombing at the Boston Marathon that killed at least three people, spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said Wednesday.
"Wherever we find Americans we will kill them, but we don't have any connection with the Boston Explosions," Ihsan said.
The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the Times Square bombing in 2010.
A spokeswoman for Massachusetts General Hospital in the city told Reuters news agency that it was treating 19 victims of the explosions in its emergency room, but information about their condition was not immediately available.
A White House official said President Barack Obama had been notified about events in Boston, while Vice President Joe Biden - breaking off from a telephone conference call on gun control - said: "Our prayers are with those people in Boston who have suffered injury."
President Obama had called Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick yesterday to offer federal assistance, an official said.
According to the BBC, the first explosion came at about 14:50 local time (18:50 GMT), approximately two hours after the winners crossed the line.
The Associated Press news agency 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, and smoke could be seen rising from the scene of the blasts.
TV helicopter footage showed blood staining the pavement in the shopping and tourist area known as Back Bay. Bloodied victims were initially rushed to a medical tent set up to care for fatigued runners. Emergency services descended on the scene, which was quickly locked down.
Mike Mitchell of Vancouver, Canada, a runner who had finished the race, said he was looking back at the finish line when he 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.
Immediately, Stragglers heading for the finish line were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts.
The annual Boston Marathon attracts a large field of runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Owing to Boston explosions, the British police are now said to be reviewing security plans for coming Sunday's London Marathon, the next major international marathon, following events in Boston.
The Guardian
Of course they have to be at at alert more than before rite now cos the pepetiators won't stop