BOSTON
Two explosions took place at the Boston Marathon's crowded finish line Monday afternoon, killing at least three people and injuring more than 130 in the US.
The first explosion came at about 14:50 local time, approximately two hours after the winners crossed the line.
The second explosion occurred a few seconds later, and smoke rose from the scene of the blasts.
A fire then broke out at the John F Kennedy presidential library a few kilometers away from the finish line.
The dead included an 8-year-old boy, and among the injured, 17 were reported in critical condition.
The FBI took the lead role in the investigation on Monday night, and Richard DesLauriers, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Boston office, described the inquiry as "a criminal investigation that is a potential terrorist investigation" and added that no definite numbers in regards to casualties could be provided yet.
Panic dominates the city as investigations continue and noone including the press are allowed to get near the area of explosion.
US President Obama stated that Boston attackers "will be found and feel the full weight of justice," in his speech he delivered from the White House.
Anadolu Agency spoke to athlete Brett Alison who attended the marathon from Atlanta for the second time this year.
Alison stated that she thought the blast to be planned as it happened when a crowded group of athletes completed the marathon and added, "I completed the marathon a few minutes before the blast. If I had run slower I could have also been affected."
The annual Boston Marathon of the US had a field of about 23,000 runners and was watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators.
