News is trickling in from Massachusetts after two bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon, killing at least three people and injuring over 100 others. 85 runners from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were taking part in the race, none are believed to be among the injured, but two Taiwanese participants are currently missing.
Our sister-site Gothamist has US-focused live updates on the blasts.
Xinhua reports:
Media reports said that among the two dead was an 8-year-old child, whereas six of the 100-plus injured were in critical condition. Many of the injured appeared to be spectators who had gathered at the scene to watch the world’s oldest modern marathon, which attracted over 20,000 runners this year.
At least 15 of the participants from mainland China were from real estate company Vanke, according to Caijing.
Here is a list of participants from China, from the official Boston Marathon website:
Update 11.15 CST: Photos of the aftermath of the blasts, via Xinhua:
Update 11.30 CST: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has released a statement condemning the blasts as “senseless violence“.
Speaking at a ceremony at UN Headquarters commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, Ban said the bombing “is all the more appalling for taking place at an event renowned for bringing people together from around the world in a spirit of sportsmanship and harmony.”
He said that although reports on the incident were still coming in, it was already known that there are dead and wounded.
“For now I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with everyone in Boston,” Ban said, expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishing those wounded a speedy recovery.
