Two people have been killed and at least 23 injured in two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The annual Boston Marathon attracts a large field of runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators. 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
But The blasts shattered the carnival atmosphere of one of the biggest sporting events in the US, causing panic and confusion.
Boston police said a third incident occurred at the city's JFK Library and was under investigation. The cause of the explosions has yet to be identified but President Barack Obama is to address the nation shortly.
Also, 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.
A White House official said President Obama had called Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to offer federal assistance.
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."
The first explosion came at about 14:50 local time (18:50 GMT), approximately two hours after the winners crossed the line.
There was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the finish line. Another loud explosion occurred a few seconds later, and smoke rose from the scene of the blasts.
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