21:20

Tuesday in Washington DC is Emancipation Day, which commemorates the release from bondage of the slaves in the US capital. A parade, concert and fireworks, are planned in downtown Washington DC, and local public radio station WAMU reports the city will increase security around the events, in addition to a broadened security perimeter around the White House, BBC reports.

21:16

The number of injured has risen to 154 including with more than a dozen in critical condition and eight children, CNN reports based on data they have complied from all hospitals in the area. The condition of the eight children is listed as good to serious.

20:45

A mixture of fear and loathing has gripped Boston this morning as people fell asleep and woke up to sirens with few answers about what happened here less than 24-hours ago. One Twitter user questioned: Is it pathetic that I am scared to leave my apartment? Police, publically, have given away little but most experts have pointed toward a lone wolf bomber.

Many people are still fighting for their lives as doctors pull metal shrapnel from their horrific wounds. Worried people will demand answers fast, but like the recovery of the victims - it will be a slow painstaking process.

20:24

The FBI will hold a press conference at 9:30 pm (Beijing time) where they are expected to give an update on casualty figures and the police manhunt for the person or persons responsible for this "act of terrorism". We will bring you live updates from the news conference here on China Daily's live report as-it-happens.

20:20

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has spoken about security at this Sunday's marathon in the British capital: "We do have robust security measures in place for Sunday's London Marathon, but given events in Boston it's only prudent for the police and the organizers of Sunday's race to re-examine those security arrangements."

20:11

Last month, the Guardian reports, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights group, wrote to US attorney general Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano, the secretary of Homeland Security, warning of the "looming dangers" and "growing threat" of "non-Islamic domestic terrorism."

19:39

A few facts about the Boston Marathon. This year there were about 23,000 runners. The winners had passed the finish line about two hours before the explosions. More than 500,000 spectators lined the course. It is held on Patriots Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775. It is the world's oldest annual marathon and the second biggest single-day sporting event in the US behind the Super Bowl, by media coverage.

19:21

18:59

The front pages of the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday (L)  and Spain's popular El Pais newspaper (R)

18:49

Officials say at least 17 people are critically wounded and the injuries include several amputations, BBC reports.

17:00

Good evening and welcome to our continuing coverage of the tragic events of what should have been a joyous occasion in Boston in the US. The people of America are once again waking up to the horror of another tragedy.

The killer or killers remain on the loose after a number of explosions injured more than 140 and killed 3, one a boy aged eight.

Many others lay in a critical state as The FBI leads a "potential terrorist inquiry" after the explosions. We will continue to bring you the latest developments as-it-happens.

16:48

Reaction of Chinese Internet bloggers on Boston blasts