Explosions hit Boston Marathon 3 hours agoPolice clear the area at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon following explosions The Boston Marathon, one of the biggest sporting events in the US, has been hit by two deadly explosions. Debris littered the area close to the finish line, with horrifying images from the scene showing injured spectators and blood-smeared pavements. Here, eyewitnesses give their accounts of the blasts' immediate aftermath.Bruce Mendelsohn, war veteran I heard the explosion, I saw the smoke, and felt a secondary, smaller explosion about five seconds later. I exited the building [directly above the blast], the street was smeared with blood and shrapnel. I saw wounds that were commensurate with a ground-level explosion. I immediately tried to help the first-responders who were on the scene. It was terrifying and people are rightly calling it Boston's 9/11. The scene went from festive to chaotic and bloody immediately. The explosion came from a building and it blew out the glass, there was broken glass strewn all over the front. I saw the white smoke and smelled the cordite or gun powder. I applied direct pressure to wounds and got shirts and other material to try to staunch bleeding. I got a first-aid kit from a soldier who was on the scene. Once the police had the scene under control they cordoned everything off and whisked everyone away.Josh Cox, elite runner and US commentator There were bodies, people laying on the ground. Some runners who had just finished who had just gotten by it were crying, understandably. It's tragic, absolutely tragic. It was a massive boom. When the first explosion went, the whole ground shook. I didn't think bomb, you think there was a transformer, or generator - I took a picture. Right as I took the picture, the next one went off. Once the second one came, everyone was freaking out. Everyone was clearing the area. [The area is] very crowded. It's the Boston Marathon - there are close to 27,000 people running this race today. Just about a half a million people lining the course. The majority make it to the finish line to see... friends and family finish. You can barely walk on Boylston [Street]. It's shoulder to shoulder. You really can't move.Fatma Tanis, journalist I was at Copley Square, 300ft from the explosion. I was interviewing one of the runners and my camera was rolling at the same time. Suddenly I heard a loud noise, like a cannon going off. The ground shook. It was like a heavy falling noise. Then I saw a fireball and smoke. There was mass confusion. People were scared. Closer to the scene people had cuts on faces, others were running. I walked towards the area of the explosion. I saw blood on the floor and lots of bodies. The second explosion was not as loud.Stuart singer, British marathon runner I finished the marathon... I met up with my wife just at the end and we started walking back to our hotel and then we heard the explosions and lots of sirens. We didn't think too much of it, we just thought what was that bang and carried on. Then we saw the news and everyone started calling us. It was just horrific to be honest. There's loads and loads of helpers handing out sheets for runners, handing out drinks - there's hundreds and hundreds of people there - it must be complete chaos. At that point of the marathon you have all the stands where all the supporters are. For the last mile coming in there are literally thousands of people. It's also right by the family meet and greet area.