Boston Marathon Bombing: Death Toll Rises To 3, Over 100 Injured, 10 Limbs Amputated

Boston

A twin bomb blast that struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday turned a celebration into a bloody scene of destruction.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said Monday night that the death toll had risen to three. Scores were injured at the scene.

One of the dead was an 8-year-old boy, according to a state law enforcement source.
Hospitals reported at least 144 people are being treated, with 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.

Several of the patients treated at Massachusetts General Hospital suffered injuries to lower limbs that will require “serial operations” in the coming days, trauma surgeon Peter Fagenholz said Monday night. Some injuries were so severe amputations were necessary, Fagenholz added.

In Washington, President Barack Obama vowed, “Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.”

Boston “is a tough and resilient town,” he said, adding that Americans will stand by Bostonians “every single step of the way.”

The terrorist attack, near the marathon’s finish line, triggered widespread screaming and chaos, shattered windows and barricades and sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square.

The blasts were about 50 to 100 yards apart, officials said, on a stretch of the marathon course lined with spectators cheering runners through the final yards of a 26-mile, 385-yard endurance feat.

“It felt like a huge cannon,” a witness told CNN about one of the blasts.

Allan Panter, a doctor who was near the finish line waiting for his wife to finish the race, told CNN he was standing about 20 to 25 feet from the first blast. He said he treated victims on the street after the explosion.

“I saw at least six to seven people down next to me,” he said. “They protected me from the blast. One lady expired. One gentleman lost both his (lower) limbs. Most of the injuries were lower extremities.”

It was also Patriots Day, commemorating the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.
Within seconds, the festive occasion turned into devastation.

“This is a horrific day in Boston,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement.

“My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the president, Mayor (Thomas) Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, and there were no credible threats before the race, a state government official said.

Analysts however said it is the work of terrorists as the attack was planned. One unexploded device was found at a hotel on Boylston Street near the bomb site and another unexploded device was found at an undisclosed location, Keating, a Democrat and member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said. He called the bombing a “sophisticated, coordinated, planned attack.”

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