A White House official said the explosions occurred just before 3pm (18:50 GMT), around 10pm South African time close to the finish line on Monday and would be handled as an "act of terror".
Police officials said mobile phone services have been shut down in the Boston area to prevent any potential remote detonations of explosives while a senior US intelligence official said two more explosive devices had been found near the scene of the explosions and were being dismantled.
US President Barack Obama says authorities will make sure those responsible will be arrested. He said it was unclear who was behind the explosions but vowed to hold accountable whoever carried out the blasts. The president said he had directed his administration to increase security around the country. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has now taken over the investigation
The Boston explosions put the White House on edge with the Secret Service raising security around the executive mansion. Obama said he has directed the federal government to increase security around the United States as necessary after the explosions.
The blasts offered a fresh challenge to Obama, who early in his second term has been focused on domestic agenda topics such as gun control, immigration and budget deficits
Meanwhile International Relations confirmed that while no South African participants have been killed 2 runners have been taken to hospital and is sending a team Boston to check if there are any more injured. Spokesperson Clayson Monyela said, “we know that 28 (athletes) had been registered for the marathon. So far the information we have suggest that two South African’s were injured, albeit not seriously.”
“We’ll also be following up with more hospitals. There is a call centre we are updating everyday; as well as time passes because this is a developing story and information changes,” added Monyela.
A South African athlete who competed in the Boston Marathon has described scenes of chaos when the bombs hit. Wheelchair racer Ernest van Dijk was celebrating finishing the race at a nearby hotel when he heard the blasts. He says the scenes following the explosion were surreal. He said, “It was a terrible blast. The whole building shook. I could immediately smell gunpowder everywhere and saw the people that went down…Saw really, really badly hurt people.”
It’s reported police are searching in the Boston suburb after the bombings and the Boston police department is also denying reports that a suspect has been identified in the blast.
Both the New York Post and Fox News have reported that a suspect reportedly responsible for the attack has been identified and is being guarded in a Boston Hospital with shrapnel wounds.
Efforts are now underway to get the South African athletes safely back home.
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