TerrorismBombs kill 2, injure 23 at Boston Marathon

Two loud explosions near the finish-line of the Boston Marathon killed two people and injured twenty-three this afternoon.

The Washington Post reports that the two blasts occurred after about half the runners taking part in the marathon had already crossed the finish line. Thousands of runners were still heading toward the finish line, but race organizers halted the race within minutes after the explosions.

CNN video footage showed a few of the runners, who were approaching the finish line, being knocked over by the concussion of the blasts.

Both police officials and Boston Marathon organizers referred to “two bombs.”

The Boston police reports it had located a small bomb hidden inside the near-by Prudential Center on Huntington Street. The area was cleared, and a few minutes later a smaller blast was heard from inside the building.

Fox News reports that police intelligence officials told the APP that two unexploded devices were being dismantled, and reports of a third “controlled” explosion near the JFK Library in the Columbia Point section of Dorchester,

The explosions occurred a few minutes before 3 p.m. Eastern time near the intersection of Boylston and Exeter streets. A few store fronts were blown out.

A CNN producer was quoted to say that the two blasts occurred on opposite sides of the street. He said the first “looked like it was off to the side of the street” and the second “looked like it happened on the sidewalk.”

One of the bombs was hidden inside trash container.

Organizers say that about half of the nearly 27,000 participants had already finished the race when the blasts occurred.

The police says the two blasts occurred about 300 yards from the finish line.

President Obama was notified of the incident, and the president has directed administration agencies to provide whatever assistance is necessary in the investigation and response, the official said.