Three killed, scores injured in Boston Marathon blasts

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2013





Death and destruction struck in the last quarter-mile.



The nearly 27000 runners making their way towards the final stretch of the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon could have felt nothing but exhilaration and exhaustion as they approached the finish line. Yet at 2:45pm on Monday afternoon the unsuspecting runners were knocked over by the sheer force of a powerful shockwave from "coordinated" twin blasts of lethal, shrapnel-spewing bombs.



The blasts, which unnamed government officials, but not President Barack Obama, described as a "terror attack," left at least three people dead and more than 132 injured and were captured in a video here.



Speaking in a subdued but determined tone at the White House three hours later Mr. Obama said that he sent his and First Lady Michelle Obama's "deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss."



'Full weight of justice'



While he admitted that his administration's officials "do not know who did this or why," and "people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts," he promised, "We will get to the bottom of this... Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice."



Videos from the finish line showed people screaming "Oh my god," people lying on the road bloodied, and a large cloud of white smoke and debris near a line of world flags along the runners' path. Ambulance and police sirens could also be heard wailing and police officers on the spot could be seen drawing their guns.



According to the Associated Press "bloody spectators were being carried to a medical tent that had been set up to care for tired runners." The injury toll was rising steadily and already at above 132 by late Monday night. Victims were being brought in to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where six patients were said to be critical, the Tufts Medical Centre and other area hospitals.



An eight-year-old boy was said to be among those killed, and a two-year old reportedly sustained head injuries. Graphic photographs of victims of the bombings circulated on social media, many showing people with their limbs missing. Doctors in local hospitals were said to be "pulling ball-bearings out of people," suggesting a deliberate bomb design. MGH confirmed that it performed "several amputations."



Multiple explosions



Shortly after the first two explosions multiple reports cited a third blast, and noted that a controlled explosion had been carried out by law enforcement. The Boston Police Department (BPD) spokesperson Cheryl Fiandaca confirmed "A third incident at JFK library," adding on Twitter: "Not certain related- but BPD treating like they are." Later it emerged that an event at Boston's JFK Library was an unrelated fire incident.



Mr. Obama also said that he had been in close contact with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Robert Mueller and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and "They're mobilising the appropriate resources to investigate and to respond." Further, he said, he had spoken with to Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. At a press conference on Monday night the FBI announced that it was taking charge of the criminal investigation of the bombings.



Meanwhile a U.S. intelligence official speaking off the record to media said that police recovered two more unexploded devices. ABC news said that a federal law enforcement authority confirmed that "this was an intentional bombing, using small portable explosive devices."



Copley Square, near the finish line, was said to have been closed. Still photographs of the moment of the explosion showed a momentary ball of fire roaring through a part of the audience. Another photograph showed a blackened facade of a Starbucks Coffee store nearby, possibly burnt in the blast.



Coordinated response



Meanwhile Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick described the explosions as "horrific," saying on Twitter, "We are currently in contact with federal, state and city officials." The Department of Homeland Security said it would offer "whatever assistance" was required.



Authorities announced heightened security measures across New York and Washington following the news of the explosions. John Boehner, House of Representatives Speaker, said that flags would fly at half-staff over Capitol Hill and other federal government buildings "out of respect for the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy."



The Federal Aviation Authority said that it had issued a temporary flight restriction over the area of the explosion and "ground stop" for Boston airport. While the no-fly zone over the area remained in force, the traffic stoppage at Logan International Airport was lifted within a few hours on Monday evening.



Speaking to media the Boston Police Commissioner said that there had been no prior knowledge of a threat to the marathon, Ms. Fiandaca noted that BPD were checking the area for packages and "stabilising the situation."



Although an official speaking to AP was quoted saying that cell phone services had been shut down in the Boston area "to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives," reports quoting mobile phone operators said that the latter had simply been overwhelmed by traffic.



Media controversy



The media in some cases got ahead of itself in reporting the breaking story on the explosions. One report in the New York Post said that a "Saudi national who suffered shrapnel wounds in today\'s blast" has been identified as "a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing."



However, contradicting the Post's account the BPD denied that any suspects were taken into custody, with one official saying, "Honestly, I don\'t know where they\'re getting their information from, but it didn\'t come from us." Some media reports said that a Saudi man running away from the bombings had been "chased and tackled by bystanders" though he was not necessarily a suspect.



Similarly CNN's alluded to the event being a "terror attack" a full two hours or more before unnamed officials were quoted as confirming that that was the case. Mr. Obama did not use the term "terror attack" at all. However within a few hours Bill Keating, Congressman of Massachusetts, was quoted saying it was a "sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack."
News From: http://www.7StarNews.com