Explosions at Boston Marathon finish line

What started out as a celebration at the Boston Marathon turned into a bloody scene of destruction as two simultaneous explosions ripped through the crowd at the finish line killing two people and injuring dozens on a day when tens of thousands of people pack the streets to watch the world famous race. Among the two killed is an 8-year-old boy.

Runners continue to run towards the finish line of the Boston Marathon as an explosion erupts near the finish line of the race in this photo exclusively licensed to Reuters by photographer Dan Lampariello after he took the photo in Boston, Massachusetts, April 15, 2013. REUTERS/Dan Lampariello

It was also Patriot's Day, commemorating the opening battle of the Revolutionary War. The Boston Marathon has been held on Patriot's Day, the third Monday of April, since 1897. The event, which starts in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and ends in Boston's Copley Square, attracts an estimated half-million spectators and some 20,000 participants every year.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra cancelled Monday night's concert and the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins cancelled their home game against the Ottawa Senators.

Earlier on, Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa and Kenya's Rita Jeptoo won the men's and women's events, continuing African runners' dominance in the sport.

Source: The Star..Two blasts rock Boston Marathon, at least 2 killed, dozens hurt


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CNN..Boy, 8, one of two killed in bombings at Boston Marathon; scores wounded
Hospitals reported at least 134 people being treated, at least 17 of them in critical condition and 25 in serious condition. At least eight of the patients are children.

At least 10 people injured had limbs amputated, according to a terrorism expert briefed on the investigation.

Doctors are "pulling ball-bearings out of people in the emergency room," the expert said, suggesting the bombs were designed to propel shrapnel.

New York Times..Site of the Boston Marathon Explosions