Quote:Two people have been killed and 23 injured after two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, police say.

The blasts shattered the carnival atmosphere of one of the biggest sporting events in the US, causing panic and confusion.

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.

The cause of the explosions has yet to be confirmed.

---

At the scene

Mario Cacciottolo
BBC News, Boston

It was a beautiful day in Boston, and everyone was in high spirits for the marathon.

I was in Washington Square, about two miles from the finish line, where a band was playing and there was a carnival atmosphere.

Suddenly the news started to filter through that there had been an explosion near the finish line.

The music turned off and the mood changed quickly. People reached for their mobile phones to reassure loved ones, and the crowds dissipated fast.

Small groups of runners and their supporters huddled together, pooling information and trying to find out just what had happened in Boston on marathon day.

A spokeswoman for Massachusetts General Hospital in the city told Reuters news agency that it was treating 19 victims of the explosion 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 of 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 on Monday to offer federal assistance, an official said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has created a no-fly zone over the area, while security at key sites in Washington DC and New York has been tightened.

'Massive explosion'
The incident reportedly came about two hours after the winners crossed the line.


The Boston Marathon

• World's oldest annual marathon - 2013 was the 117th event
  
  
• Second biggest single-day sporting event in the US behind the Super Bowl, in terms of media coverage
  
  
• Organised by the Boston Athletic Association, the course is 26.2 miles
  This year there were 28,000 runners, representing athletes from every US state and more than 90 countries
  
  
• More than 500,000 spectators line the course every year
  
  
• $806,000 (£527,000) in prize money offered in 2013
  
  
• In 1975, Boston became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division
  
  
• A Kenyan or Ethiopian man has won the Boston Marathon 23 times in the last 25 years
  

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.

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.

Stragglers heading for the finish line were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts.

The annual Boston Marathon attracting a large field of runners and tens of thousands of spectators.

British police are reviewing security plans for Sunday's London Marathon, the next major international marathon, following events
in Boston.

Source

This is disgusting. It highlights the hostile environment in-which we live in. Conspiracy theorists are already pointing fingers at North Korea as today marks Kim Il-sung's birthday - the apparent 'founder' of North Korea itself. Many say such a celebration would be the excuse for a hostile attack.

I'd like to stress that these are just theories; I do not agree nor disagree with any conspiracy theory at this current moment and time.

What are your opinions? Do you think North Korea are involved? Discuss.