Australian runners at the Boston Marathon have told of their horror after two bombs exploded near the finish line, leaving at least two people dead and dozens injured.
Champion marathoner Rob De Castella, who took a team of indigenous runners to America’s oldest marathon, is safe along with young Darwin girl Emma Cameron.
There were concerns for Ms Cameron’s safety, but the Indigenous Marathon Project confirmed both were safe and Emma was still far from the finish when the blasts occurred.
Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley, who came fifth in the wheelchair race, was in a restaurant about 100 metres from the finish line when he heard the blast.
“I was sitting down having dinner and I heard just two big thunder claps … people started running by the front (of the restaurant),” he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
Once he realised what had happened, he was shocked.
“You don’t expect this stuff to happen. You start to get worried, trying to get in contact with people,” he said.
He is tweeting his outrage from @kurtfearnley:
Accounted for friends & other racers and seems to be all ok on that end. Pretty shit situation. Extremely shit.
— Kurt Fearnley (@kurtfearnley) April 15, 2013
Four-time Olympian and marathon coach Benita Willis said on Twitter: “Scary stuff here in Boston. I’m ok & our runners are ok.”
Another Australian runner Jeffrey Hunt, who finished eighth, also took to Twitter and other social media to assure friends and family they were safe.
“Quick note to let everyone know I am fine,” Hunt said on his website.
“I was in my hotel room when the explosions went off.
“We are in lock down for now. no one in or out of the building. “This is a despicable thing to have been done on such a glorious day.”
Another Australian runner, Jayne Moore, said she was about 50 metres from the scene of the explosions.
While she was unhurt, she said some of those around her suffered horrific injuries.
“Everyone just basically started running from the scene, crying and saying bombs had gone off,” she told the Nine Network.
Fellow runner Craig Doherty, of Brisbane, who also escaped injury, said just a day earlier, he was inside a shop where it’s thought one of the blasts occurred.
“It’s not a good day for the marathon or the people of Boston,” he said.
Willis said most of her team had finished the race and cleared the scene well before the explosions.
“It was pretty loud and I’m about two or three blocks away. It’s pretty scary considering it’s such a good event,” she told the ABC.
She said she was still trying to contact some runners, including a woman in her 60s.
“I still haven’t heard from her … so I’m worried about her,” Willis told Fairfax Radio.
But she was optimistic the woman would turn up.
“We’ll be okay. We’ll be okay,” Willis said.
Another Australian runner, Travis Stevens, 29, said he had finished the race and was in a pub about 400m from the blasts, which he thought at first was an electrical fault.
“We’ve been told to stay in our hotel and not to congregate in large groups,” he told Fairfax Radio.
Australian authorities said they were still making urgent inquiries but they were not aware at this stage of any Australian victims.
Australian university student Benjamin Hanson was on his way to the marathon just before the blasts occurred.
“It’s been pretty scary. Hearing this (news) when you’re back home and being in the city where it’s actually happening is completely different,” he told the Seven Network.
He said he was staying in an apartment close to the JFK library, where a fire caused smoke initially thought to have been from a third explosion.
“We can see the JFK presidential library from our place and there’s actually smoke coming from it,” he said.
“(It’s) probably 500 metres from where our apartments are. It’s been a pretty scary day over here.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs said anyone concerned about family and friends should try to contact them directly before calling DFAT’s 24-hour consular emergency centre on 1300 555 135.
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