Boston Blasts Death Toll Rises to 3

Two explosions occurred in downtown Boston at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race's nearly 27 000 runners had crossed the finish line in the world's oldest annual marathon. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The death toll in the two bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon has risen to three while more than 100 are reported injured, some seriously.

TV footage showed bloodied runners and spectators being treated at the scene and the road strewn with debris.

The FBI has said that they were looking at a "potential terrorist investigation," but it's not clear whether the origin was domestic or foreign. However, President, Barack Obama, has been more cautious in speaking of terrorism, stating in a TV address: "we will find out who did this" and that those responsible would feel the "full weight of justice."

"We don't yet have all the answers. We still do not know who did this or why," he stressed, adding he had called Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to offer federal assistance.

Details of the victims have not been revealed, however, according to a state law enforcement source, an eight-year-old boy was among the dead. Quoting a family friend, the report said the boy's mother and sister were also injured as they waited for his father to finish the race.

According to CNN, hospitals have reported at least 144 people 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.

The explosions, 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.

Authorities in Boston found at least one other explosive device that they were dismantling, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told CNN. He explained that it remains unclear who may have planted the marathon bombs. There were no credible threats before the race, a state government official said.

Representative Bill Keating of Massachusetts (D), meanwhile, has said two more bombs were found.

According to him, 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.

A first responder source has confirmed to Fox News that five total explosive devices were found in the Boston area, including the two that exploded. "When multiple devices go off, that's an act of terrorism," a senior administration official told Fox News.

The recovered unexploded devices will be used as evidence in search for fingerprints and indications of the bomb maker's design.

As authorities searched the scene, numerous suspicious packages were found, possibly because people fled the area, leaving items behind. Investigators are checking them.

There is no suspect in custody, but many people are being questioned.

Investigators warned police to be on the lookout for a "darker-skinned or black male" with a possible foreign accent in connection with the attack, according to a law enforcement advisory obtained by CNN. The man was seen with a black backpack and sweatshirt and was trying to get into a restricted area about five minutes before the first explosion, the lookout notice states.

Also, a Saudi national with a leg wound was under guard at a Boston hospital in connection with the bombings, but investigators cannot say he is involved at this time and he is not in custody, a law enforcement official said Monday evening.

All off-duty Boston police were called in. The Marriott and Lenox hotels were evacuated as a precaution. The Federal Aviation Administration placed a flight restriction over the site of the blasts. Subway services were halted as well.

Other cities, including New York and Washington, tightened security as a result. Following standard protocol, the White House cleared out an area in front of the West Wing.

Huge crowds, including thousands of foreign visitors, were in the area watching the runners take part in the world's oldest annual marathon.

It was also Patriots Day, commemorating the opening battle of the Revolutionary War.

The explosions occurred at about 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time, more than two hours after the first of the race's nearly 27 000 runners had crossed the finish line.

Troops from the Massachusetts National Guard, already at the site as part of the marathon's security and crowd-management plan, were assisting police.

A fire broke out at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum just minutes after two explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line, initially believed to be caused by another bomb. However, Boston Police Commissioner Davis is quoted saying that "the preliminary investigation indicates the incident at the JFK may not have been an explosion. It may have been a fire."

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