Berkeley Runners in Boston for Marathon Shaken by Explosions

By Bay City News

A number of Bay Area residents, including almost two dozen from Berkeley, were among the thousands of runners and spectators in the streets of Boston today when two deadly explosions went off near the Boston Marathon's finish line.

At least three people were killed in the blasts, which occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Boston time. Reports early this evening indicated that an 8-year-old child was among the dead, and that more than 130 people were injured.

Boston Marathon officials posted about the incident on the event's Facebook page just before 1 p.m.

"There were two bombs that exploded near the finish line in today's Boston Marathon. We are working with law enforcement to understand what exactly has happened," the statement read.

Berkeley resident Lucretia Ausse, 54, was about to receive her medal after finishing the race in just over four hours when she heard an explosion and saw a plume of smoke.

About 10 seconds later, she heard a second blast.

"I thought it was a water cannon," she said this afternoon, "I thought that was odd."

She soon realized something serious was happening.

"There was definitely fear and panic in the crowd," she said.

She was able to get her gear from a tent where her cellphone was, but she was unable to connect with her partner, who was on the subway trying to meet up with her at the finish line.

Today is a holiday in Massachusetts — Patriots' Day — and the subway was packed, Ausse said.

She said a frantic 30 minutes passed before they were able to meet up safely and return to their Beacon Hill bed and breakfast, where she said everyone is hunkering down, watching the news closely and following police orders.

"It was a very terrifying and saddening experience," said Ausse, who has run five marathons. "For this to occur at this event is enormously frightening."

She said fellow runners, who come from around the world for the storied race, are shaken up.

"It's just starting to hit me what happened," she said.

San Francisco native and Berkeley resident Andrew Batjiaka, 25, had finished the race an hour before the blasts happened and had left the downtown area when he heard about the explosions.

He was able to return to a home in the city's Allston neighborhood where he is staying with friends.

Batjiaka said his sense of accomplishment and well-being after the marathon quickly turned to horror when he heard the news.

"I was super happy when I finished the race," Batjiaka said.

He said his Boston friends have offered to host fellow marathon runners stranded in the city.

Hundreds of similar offers have been made on a growing Google Document list titled "Need a place to stay - Boston Marathon explosion."

The list is being shared online via social media.

President Obama made a statement this afternoon after he was briefed about the explosions, calling Boston a "tough and resilient town."

"We still do not know who did this or why," Obama said. "But make no mistake — we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this; we'll find out why they did this."

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