Texas Plant Explosion: 14 Bodies Recovered

Officials have recovered 14 bodies following a massive explosion that levelled a fertiliser plant and destroyed dozens of homes in West, Texas.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt Jason Reyes did not say where the bodies were found but said more information would be provided later.

He says the bodies will be sent to the Dallas County medical examiner's office for identification.

The blast levelled nearby apartments

Sgt Reyes earlier announced that 12 bodies had been recovered by Friday morning and that search and rescue efforts were ongoing.

Senator John Cornyn, speaking earlier to reporters in West, said as many as 60 people remain unaccounted for, but suggested some could be staying with friends and relatives.

Even before investigators released a confirmed number of fatalities, the names of the dead were becoming known in the town of 2,800.

A small group of firefighters and others who may have rushed toward the factory to battle a pre-explosion blaze are believed to be among the dead. Sgt Reyes said he could not confirm how many of those killed were first responders.

Mourners gather for a candle light vigil at a church in West

Authorities said there is no indication that the blast was anything other than an industrial accident. It remains unclear what sparked the blaze.

"We know everyone that was there first, in the beginning," said Christina Rodarte, who has lived in West for 27 years. "There's no words for it.

"It is a small community, and everyone knows the first responders, because anytime there's anything going on, the fire department is right there - all volunteer."

One victim Ms Rodarte knew and whose name has been released was Kenny Harris, a 52-year-old captain in the Dallas Fire Department who lived south of West. He was off duty at the time but responded to the fire to help, according to a statement from the city of Dallas.

A massive plume of smoke filled the Texas sky after the blast

West's landscape is likely to be altered permanently after an area four to five blocks in radius was levelled by the blast. An apartment complex was badly shattered, a school set ablaze, and a nursing home was left in ruins.

Residents have been kept out of a large swathe of West, where search and rescue teams continue to pick through the rubble.

Some with permission have made forays closer to the destruction and came back stunned - and it is possible other residents will be allowed to retrieve some personal belongings on Friday, emergency workers said.

Texas attorney general Greg Abbott said: "I had an expectation of what I would see, but what I saw went beyond my expectations in a bad way. It is very disturbing to see the site."

Firefighter Darryl Hall, from Thorndale, about 50 miles away from West, was one of the rescue workers helping with the house-to-house search.

He said: "People's lives are devastated here. It's hard to imagine."

A nearby football pitch served as a makeshift triage in the aftermath

A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives still had not been able to begin investigating the scene because it remained unsafe, agency spokeswoman Franceska Perot said.

The West Fertilizer Co facility stores and distributes anhydrous ammonia, a fertiliser that can be directly injected into soil, and a blender and mixer of other fertilisers.

Records reviewed by the AP news agency show the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration fined West Fertilizer $10,000 last summer for safety violations that included planning to transport anhydrous ammonia without a security plan.

An inspector also found the plant's ammonia tanks were not properly labelled.

In a risk-management plan filed with the Environmental Protection Agency about a year earlier, the company said it was not handling flammable materials and did not have sprinklers, water-deluge systems, blast walls, fire walls or other safety mechanisms in place at the plant.

State officials require all facilities that handle anhydrous ammonia to have sprinklers and other safety measures because it is a flammable substance, according to Mike Wilson, head of air permitting for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

But inspectors would not necessarily check for such mechanisms, and it is not known whether they did when the West plant was last inspected in 2006, said Ramiro Garcia, head of enforcement and compliance.

That inspection followed a complaint about a strong ammonia smell, which the company resolved by obtaining a new permit, said the commission's executive director Zak Covar.

He said no other complaints had been filed with the state since then, so there have not been additional inspections.

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Boston Bombings: Second Suspect In Custody

Boston Marathon Blasts: Timeline

Updated: 2:50am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

Here is a timeline of events from the Boston Marathon bombings to the death of one of the suspects and another one being taken into custody.

Monday, April 15 (Times are local)

2.50pm: An explosion takes place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Around 10 seconds later, there is another blast about 100m further back down the same road, Boylston Street, also on the marathon route.

The explosions occurred four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

2.57pm: The Boston Globe's Twitter feed reports a witness hearing "two loud booms" near the finish line.

4.02pm: Boston police confirm two people have died and 23 injured in the explosions via Twitter.

6.12pm: President Barack Obama addresses the nation, saying: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight."

8.49pm: At a news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announces the FBI has taken over the investigation.

It is confirmed three people died as a result of the bombings and at least 100 others were hurt. The injury toll was later put at over 180.

Tuesday, April 16

Two victims of the blasts were identified as Martin Richard, eight, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Martin was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he died.

Restaurant manager Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish when the bombs went off.

Wednesday, April 17

The third victim is identified as 23-year-old Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu.

Boston University confirmed Ms Lu was studying mathematics and statistics there and was due to receive her degree in 2015.

It said she and two friends had been watching the marathon near the finish line. One of the friends, also a Boston University student, was injured while the other was unharmed, it added.

There are reports a suspect has been detained in connection with the explosions and is due to appear in court - but authorities said there had been no arrests.

The federal court in the city is evacuated due to a bomb scare but people are later allowed to return.

Thursday, April 18

Afternoon: Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend an interfaith service at a Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston to remember the bombing victims. The president vows the attackers will face justice.

Evening: The FBI releases photos and video footage of two bombings suspects at the scene before the attacks.

One is pictured wearing a black baseball cap and a second had a white baseball cap on back to front.

Police say the suspects tried to rob a supermarket in Cambridge, across the river from Boston, on Thursday evening.  

10.20pm: Officers receive reports of shots fired on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Boston.

10.30pm: A police officer at MIT is found with gunshot wounds in his vehicle after being shot several times. He died in hospital.

The bomb suspects are suspected of carrying out the shooting.

They are then thought to have stolen a Mercedes car at gunpoint and later release its driver unharmed.

Friday, April 19

1am: Witnesses in Watertown near Boston report hearing multiple gunshots and explosions. The suspects reportedly threw explosives from the vehicle as police followed it into the area.

The suspects and police exchange gunfire, during which an officer is hurt.

Police say one of the two suspects in the MIT officer shooting, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead. But his younger brother, Dzhokhar, remains at large. The pair are suspected of carrying out the bombings.

An extensive manhunt takes place in the Watertown area for Dzhokhar, who is said to be armed and dangerous.

Almost a million residents in Boston are warned to stay indoors and public transport is stopped as armed police search for Dzhokhar.

The two suspects are said to be from a Russian region near Chechnya and have lived in the US for at least one year.

6.60pm: Massachusetts Governor Patrick Deval announces the "stay indoors" order is being lifted, even though Dzhokhar remains in hiding.

Around the time the order is lifted, a flurry of gunfire breaks out in the community that is being searched. Law enforcement officials locate Dzhokhar in a boat parked behind a home.

8.45pm: Dzhokhar is taken into custody by police.

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China Earthquake: Dozens Killed, 600 Injured

At least 71 people are believed to have been killled and over 600 injured after an earthquake struck China's southwestern province of Sichuan.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of eight miles (13km).

It set off landslides and destroyed buildings, and triggered a major rescue operation involving 2,000 troops.

An aerial view of damaged houses Lushan county

The quake was felt strongly by residents in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu, causing many to rush outside, according to accounts on China's Weibo microblogging service.

A resident in Chengdu said he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

The quake struck close to where a massive tremor occurred in 2008, killing 68,000 people.

Residents take shelter in a public square in Chengdu

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "The huge earthquake in 2008 was magnitude 7.9 and at a depth of 12 miles. This latest quake has smaller magnitude and depth, but it is still very much a concern for people in Sichuan."

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) gave it as 6.6.

USGS said "significant" casualties were likely and "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".

"Past events with this alert level have required a national or international-level response," it added.

Earthquakes frequently strike the country's southwest.

The quake measured at a magnitude of approximately 6.5

The earthquake of 2008 flattened swathes of Chengdu province along with parts of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu.

Twin tremors in neighbouring Yunnan province last September triggered landslides that left at least 80 people dead.

A 5.5 magnitude quake in Yunnan last June killed four people and injured more than 100.

Another 5.4 tremor the year before near the border with Burma left 25 people dead and injured 250.

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Texas Plant Explosion: Search For Survivors

Rescue teams are searching the rubble of homes for survivors after a massive explosion ripped though a nearby fertiliser plant in Texas.

Up to 15 people are feared to have been killed and more than 160 others were injured in the blast in the small town of West, near Waco.

The Dallas Fire-Rescue department has confirmed one of its firefighters, 52-year-old Captain Kenny Harris, died as he helped fight the initial blaze.

Police have warned of a "very volatile situation" because of ammonium nitrate found at the plant. The chemical compound is commonly used a fertiliser but can also be used in explosives.

Hundreds of worshippers prayed for the victims at a church service on Thursday.

The explosion caused the roof of a school gym to cave in

Firefighters had been tackling a blaze at the factory for about 20 minutes when the explosion rocked the area on Wednesday evening.

Three to four volunteer firefighters are among the missing, said Sergeant William Patrick Swanton.

Capt Harris, who lived in West, was off duty when the fire broke out but decided to help the town's volunteer crew. He was described as a married father of three grown sons.

The blast destroyed as many as 80 houses and reduced a complex of 50 apartments to a "skeleton standing up", according to one official.

The wreckage of an apartment building destroyed by the explosion

It also struck a nearby school and nursing home, where an evacuation saw 133 patients taken out of the building, some in wheelchairs.

The explosion at the West Fertiliser Company could be heard 45 miles away. It sent flames shooting into the night sky and rained burning embers, shrapnel and debris down on shocked and frightened residents.

Sgt Swanton said the number of dead was estimated to be between five and 15, and emergency crews were moving from house to house in a search and rescue operation.

More than half of the 2,700 population of West had been evacuated and people were still being pulled from damaged buildings.

The explosion had a magnitude of 2.1 - equivalent to a minor earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.

A victim from the explosion is wheeled into hospital

A man filmed the initial fire, and captured the moment of the explosion on camera.

His child is heard shouting: "Dad, I can't hear, let's get out of here. I can't hear anything." The dad says simply: "Oh my god."

Waco Assistant Fire Chief Don Yeager said it was an anhydrous (without water) ammonia explosion.

Anhydrous ammonia is a nitrogen-hydrogen gas widely used as a fertiliser, but it is also a key component of many explosive devices.

Residents in West have been urged to remain indoors because of the threat of new explosions or leaks of ammonia from the plant's ruins.

US Geological Survey graphic shows blast ground waves (L) and sound waves

The town's mayor Tommy Muska, who is part of the team of local volunteer firefighters, compared the blast to a nuclear bomb going off.

In a statement, President Barack Obama offered the prayers of the nation to the people of West.

"A tight-knit community has been shaken, and good, hard-working people have lost their lives," he said.

Texas Governor Rick Perry described "a nightmare scenario for that community," as he announced he was seeking a federal disaster declaration which would make additional funds available.

Debby Marak said she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant.

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield. It was like the whole earth shook."

The cause of the fire remains unknown and it is being treated as a crime scene, which is standard procedure, Sgt Swanton said.

But he added there was no indication the blast was anything other than an industrial accident.

The explosion came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

The Dallas Morning News said that the fertiliser company previously reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that there was no risk of fire or explosion at the plant.

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Boston Marathon Bombings: Suspects On CCTV

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

The FBI has released new pictures of two suspects in the deadly Boston marathon bombings.

The photographs show a pair of men investigators describe as "armed and extremely dangerous".

Images released on Friday morning show one suspect wearing dark clothes, a dark cap and sunglasses.

The man described as 'suspect one' was wearing a black cap

The second suspect is seen wearing a white baseball cap, which is reversed allowing a clearer view of his face.

The Boston Globe claims that one of the suspects has been captured, while the other remains on the loose.

CCTV footage was released of the pair on Thursday, in which they are seen carrying bulky backpacks as they walk the route of Monday's race in the heart of the city.

Another image of suspect one

The men were filmed heading in the direction of the finishing line, moments before both bombs went off just seconds apart.

Three people were killed and more than 180 others injured in the explosions.

FBI special agent Richard DesLauriers, who is leading the manhunt, appealed for help in finding the suspects.

The man described as 'suspect two' was wearing a white hat

He said: "Somebody out there knows these individuals as friends, neighbours, co-workers or family members of the suspects.

"Though it may be difficult, the nation is counting on those with information to come forward and provide it to us."

The FBI has declined to discuss the men's ethnicity for fears people would be led "down the wrong path potentially".

Suspect two is said to have dropped his bag at the site of the second blast

Earlier at a moving inter-faith memorial service, Barack Obama joined 1,700 people at Boston's Holy Cross Cathedral to honour the victims - the youngest of whom was eight-year-old Martin Richard, from Boston.

The president promised the killers would be brought to justice, saying: "We will find you.

"We will hold you accountable. But more than that, our fidelity to our way of life - to our free and open society - will only grow stronger."

A profile shot of suspect two

Police have begun opening up more of the city after security was heightened in the wake of the attack, but the scene of the blasts was still being scoured by forensic teams on Thursday night.

The other people killed were steakhouse manager Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China. Seven victims are in a critical condition.

There was panic and confusion in the aftermath of the deadly twin bombing

The bombs were crudely made with explosives, nails and ball bearings packed into pressure cookers, investigators close to the case have said.

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Boston: Hunt For Killer After MIT Uni Shooting

Gunfire and explosions have reportedly been heard in the hunt for the killer of a police officer shot dead at a Massachusetts university in Boston.

The officer was responding to a report of a disturbance on Thursday night when he was shot multiple times.

The officer, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital where he later died from his multiple gunshot wounds.

A message on the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) website earlier described the incident as "active and extremely dangerous" as police swept the campus in Cambridge - nine miles west of Boston city centre.

People were urged to remain indoors until further notice and to stay away from the Stata Building in particular, off Kendall Square, as police helicopters with spotlights circled over head.

Reporters were told to move away from the scene and to switch off their mobile phones.

University students have been warned to stay indoors

Cambridge Police Department said in a statement that six gunshots were heard at 10.50pm local time.

Dozens of police officers were later seen racing from the scene near Kendall Square toward Watertown.

Dramatic accounts of police and two armed young men engaged in a shootout at the scene emerged in the US media.

The New York Times quoted local resident Andrew Kitzenburg, who said he saw the pair, wearing backpacks, shooting at dozens of police officers from behind a black Mercedes SUV.

The 29-year-old said the officers and the men were 70 yards apart and engaged in "constant gunfire".

He said an explosive device was also thrown at the police and went off some 20 yards from where they were shooting from.

One of the men then ran towards the officers and was apprehended and arrested.

Armed officers arrive at the scene

Police are still hunting for the second man who reportedly got away and conducting door-to-door searches in the area.

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn at the scene said it was unclear whether the police officer shooting and the stand-off in Watertown were linked.

"We have several incidents and we have no idea whether they are connected - and whether indeed they are connected with what happened earlier in Boston this week at the marathon," he said.

"We do know that gunfire and explosions are reported in streets close to the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology after a police officer was shot dead there.

"What is also interesting is the FBI have been reported here, the National Guard are here and Homeland Security officers as well.

"That's unusual, it's potentially significant because they wouldn't normally be called in for the shooting of a policeman.

"They would be called in if there was some kind of terrorist activity or some other event that would draw in federal agents."

It comes just days after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 180 others.

The FBI have released pictures and video of two suspects in the deadly Boston marathon bombings.

MIT later lifted its campus lockdown but warned students to "remain vigilant".  About 11,000 people attend the prestigious school.

More follows...

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Boston Marathon Bombs: FBI Hunts 'Suspect'

Investigators have revealed they have an image of a potential suspect taken from security footage before the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.

The picture is believed to have come from CCTV video taken before the twin attacks, in what could be the biggest breakthrough in the case.

It apparently shows a man carrying and possibly dropping a black bag at the second bomb scene on Boylston Street, outside the Forum restaurant, and then walking away.

The surveillance video is believed to have been taken at the Lord and Taylor department store between the sites of the two blasts, which were seconds and about 100 metres apart on the same road.

A forensic officer carries evidence from a rooftop near one of the blasts

Mr Obama and First Lady Michelle will attend an interfaith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross later today in the city.

Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is also expected to attend.

It comes as police said no-one has been arrested over Monday's bombings, despite reports in the US media that a suspect was in custody.

The Associated Press earlier claimed a law enforcement official had said a person was detained and was set to be taken to the federal court in the city.

The FBI released images of parts of the bombs

Other media outlets also reported there had been an arrest. But the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US attorney's office in Boston and the police disputed that.

"Despite reports to the contrary there has not been an arrest in the Marathon attack," the Boston police department said on Twitter.

The FBI also said there had been "no arrests made," urging the media to "exercise caution".

Boston City Council president Stephen Murphy, who was 50 yards from one of the explosions, warned Sky News this investigation could be long and drawn out.

Martin Richard, eight, was killed in the explosions

He said: "There were tens of thousands of people out there on Boylston Street and so much movement and so much going on and so much to look at, and everybody's emailing, texting tips, to law enforcement.

"People are poring over that."

The explosive devices involved pressure cooker bombs hidden inside duffel bags packed with nails, shards of metal and ball bearings, placed on the ground near the finish line of the race.

Chinese graduate student Lu Lingzi was with friends when she was killed

Three people were killed and more than 170 others were injured in the twin blasts on Monday.

Those killed include eight-year-old Martin Richard, who was waiting to give his father a hug as he crossed the finish line; restaurant manager Krystle Campbell, 29, and Chinese graduate student Lu Lingzi, who was studying at Boston University.

Scores of victims remain in hospitals, many seriously injured. Seventeen people, one as young as give, remain in critical condition.

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Texas Blast: 'I Cleaned Blood From Injured'

A woman has told how she helped clean the blood from local residents after a fertiliser plant explosion rocked a Texas town.

The blast happened in West, near Waco, and was so powerful that it was felt for miles around.

Local woman Julie Zhhirnik said: "I just hurt so much, and just seeing everything that I saw … it's unexplainable. It's just horrifying for everyone.

Residents from a nearby nursing home are triaged in a car park

"I cared for a lot, I do home help and I care and I helped and cleaned a lot of residents' blood and gave them blankets. I just tried to be there."

One firefighter said: "I've never seen anything like this. It's part of the job, sometimes it makes you nervous, but you just have to overcome it for those less fortunate."

Debby Marak said the blast was like being "in a tornado", adding that "stuff was flying everywhere."

The remains of the fertiliser plant burn after an explosion

Resident Cheryl Marich, whose home was destroyed, said: "It knocked me down, it knocked me back. It was like the whole road just picked up."

Jason Shelton told the Dallas Morning News: "It exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb.

"I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There's houses levelled that were right next to it."

Firefighters check a destroyed apartment complex

Another witness, Bill Bohannan, told the Waco Tribune-Herald: "It knocked us into the car... Every house within about four blocks is blown apart."

More follows...

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Texas Explosion 'Was Like A Nuclear Bomb'

A number of people have been killed and hundreds injured after an explosion at a fertiliser plant in Texas.

More than half of the town has been evacuated and people are still being pulled from damaged buildings following the blast in West, near Waco.

The blast - which the US geological survey said had a 2.1 magnitude - was so powerful that a nearby block of flats was destroyed and 130 residents of a local nursing home were injured.

A block of flats was destroyed in the blast

As many as 75 homes were damaged by the blast as well as a local school.

A number of people are also suffering from "respiratory distress due to chemical inhalation". 

Officials have said firefighters have stopped trying to tackle the blaze as there are fears of another explosion.

A plume of smoke rises up after the explosion Pic: KWTX-TV

The explosion happened shortly before 8pm local time on Wednesday and could be heard as far away as 45 miles.

Tommy Muska, West's mayor, said a number of firefighters are unaccounted for.

He told CNN: "It's like a nuclear bomb went off."

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

Sergeant William Swanton, from Waco Police Department, said there were scenes of "extreme devastation".

"We're going house to house, business to business, and we're seeing quite a bit of devastation in the area of the plant.

"They're still pulling victims out, still bringing victims to triage.

A photo from Twitter user @TitansHomer shows a destroyed apartment complex

"There may be firefighters that are unaccounted for and potentially a law enforcement officer as well."

He also said that a helicopter which was helping with the rescue operation was damaged.

Texas Governor Rick Perry said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."

The injured are treated at a nearby sports field

Debby Marak told The Associated Press she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant, which is near a nursing home.

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield.

"It was like the whole earth shook."

Police officers have reportedly been transporting the injured to local hospitals in their patrol cars.

As many as a dozen helicopters have been sent to the West High School stadium where ambulances are waiting to transport victims to hospitals.

Glenn Robinson, chief executive of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Centre, in Waco, told CNN his hospital had received 66 injured people for treatment, including 38 who were seriously hurt.

He said the injuries included blast injuries, orthopedic injuries, large wounds and a lot of lacerations and cuts.

American Red Cross crews from across Texas are being sent to the site.

The explosion comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

The Dallas Morning News said that the fertiliser company previously reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that there was no risk of fire or explosion at the plant.

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Alps Crash: British Driver Dies In Tragedy

A British coach driver has died after a crash in the French Alps left 29 passengers needing hospital treatment.

A crane lifts the charred wreckage of the bus near Alpe d'Huez

The bus was ferrying staff back to Britain following the end of the ski season when it veered off the road near Alpe d'Huez and burst into flames.

Investigations into the crash are ongoing, but early suggestions indicate the vehicle may have had problems with its brakes.

Twenty three passengers were unharmed, with many escaping the burning wreckage by jumping from windows.

UK travel organisation Abta said the Britons were staff who were on their way home on Tuesday after working for a Brighton-based ski company at Alpe d'Huez and other resorts.

Investigations suggest the bus may have had brake problems

At least four people were said to have been seriously injured with those hurt being treated in local hospitals.

A local police spokesman said: "There was apparently a problem with the coach's brakes.

"The driver seems to have lost control on a steep bend in the road and his vehicle crashed into rocks. It burst into flames but everyone is now out.

"Some passengers escaped by jumping out the windows."

Firefighters sift through the wreckage of the bus

A Skibound spokesman said: "Twenty nine passengers have been taken to hospitals in the area, four of which are being treated for more serious injuries.

"The further 23 passengers have escaped injury and are now with police and counsellors in a local hotel."

He added: "Our thoughts are with those who have been involved in the accident and their relatives. The names of any injured parties will not be released until all next of kin have been notified."

Abta said there were two drivers and 51 passengers on board the coach, with the passengers having finished the ski season after working for Skibound Holidays in various resorts across the French Alps.

Four people onboard the bus are reported to be in a critical condition

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the tragic incident involving British nationals in the Isere region of southern France.

"We are in touch with the local authorities and are providing consular assistance."

The route, which has formed part of the Tour de France cycle race, is infamous for its treacherous hairpin bends.

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Boston Bombs: Victim's Mother 'Heartbroken'

The mother of one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings has paid an emotional tribute to her daughter.

Krystle Campbell, 29, was the second of the three people killed in the blasts on Monday to be identified.

She had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish line on Monday afternoon when the bombs went off.

An image of one of the mangled pressure cooker bombs

Mother Patty Campbell said: "She was a wonderful person and everyone who knew her loved her.

"She was always smiling and was such a hard-worker in everything she did. This just doesn't make any sense."

Boston University said the third victim was a graduate student who was watching the race with friends at the finish line, close to the university.

The Chinese consulate said the victim was an exchange student, but has not identified them.

The first victim to be identified, eight-year-old Martin Richard, was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he was killed.

Krystle Campbell was with a friend at the race

His sister Jane lost a leg and his mother Denise, 43, is understood to have undergone surgery for a serious head injury after they were also caught in the blast.

President Obama will visit Boston on Thursday and will attend an interfaith service in memory of those killed.

On Tuesday, he branded the bombings an act of terrorism, but said investigators did not know whether they were carried out by a solo bomber or a group.

The FBI also vowed to "go to the ends of the Earth" to find out who carried out the attacks.

More than 24 hours since the twin blasts, the FBI has few breakthroughs to report and no apparent motive.

Eight-year-old Martin Richard was killed in one of the blasts

Special agent Rick DesLauriers said that specialists in Virginia will "reconstruct the device".

Doctors have revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by those caught in the blasts, including details of a nine-year-old girl who had lost her leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds.

Several people have had to have limbs amputated and others are at risk of losing legs following the blasts that ripped through crowds during the city's marathon.

Forensic investigators work at the scene of one of the bomb blasts

The explosive devices involved pressure cooker bombs hidden inside duffel bags packed with nails, shards of metal and ball bearings, placed on the ground around 100m apart along the finishing stretch of the Boston Marathon route.

Seventeen people remain in a critical condition after the blasts.

Security has been stepped up in Washington and New York, and Boston remains on high alert, although there have been no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack.

People attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the attacks

Police are said to have questioned a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian man who is being treated for injuries at a hospital in Boston.

Officers have searched his apartment in Revere, according to his flatmate.

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Boston Bombs: First Pictures Of Devices

US authorities have released the first pictures of the explosive devices used in the twin blasts which hit the Boston Marathon on Monday.

The images show twisted pieces of a metal container, wires, a battery and a small circuit board which exploded close to the finish line at the race.

In another, a piece of charred wire can be seen attached to a small box and a twisted metal lid with bolts.

The FBI said on Tuesday that a pressure cooker may have been used to build the bombs, with nails, ball bearings and other metal packed around the explosive.

The damage caused by one of the blasts in Boston

The device may also have been hidden inside rucksacks placed on the ground near the finish line.

Special agent Richard DesLauriers said experts would reconstruct the devices at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

Three people were killed and more than 170 others injured after the two explosions around four hours into the famous marathon.

It is not yet known what was used to set off the devices.

Doctors have revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by those caught in the blasts, including details of a nine-year-old girl who lost her leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds.

Several people have had to have limbs amputated and others are at risk of losing legs following the blasts. Seventeen remain in a critical condition.

No one has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack and the FBI has yet to find a motive.

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Live Updates

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8:30am UK, Tuesday 16 April 2013

Moments after the first blast

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Boston Marathon Bomb Attacks: Three Dead

The FBI is leading a terror investigation after three people were killed and more than 140 others hurt in a twin-bombing attack during the Boston Marathon.

Spectators' cheers turned to screams and a pool of blood formed on the ground as the explosions ripped through the crowd near the finish line.

The blasts happened almost simultaneously about 100m (330ft) apart, shattering windows and sending smoke and debris into the air.

Emergency workers tore away fencing as others carried seriously injured men and women from the scene in the heart of the city.

The Associated Press news agency reported that an eight-year-old boy was among the dead. Of the 144 reported injured, 17 are critical.

Massachusetts General Hospital said "several amputations" were performed on survivors.

More than 25,000 people were registered as taking part in the race, 374 of whom were British. There were also 108 Irish athletes.

There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, the most serious in the US since the 9/11 World Trade Centre atrocity. Al Qaeda-linked groups and militant white extremists have attacked targets in America in the past.

An injured runner is helped away from the blast site

The Pakistani Taliban, who have previously threatened attacks in the US, have denied any involvement.

Barack Obama vowed to find and punish those responsible, as a senior White House official said the attacks were being treated as an act of terrorism.

Mr Obama avoided using the words "terror" or "terrorism", saying officials "still do not know who did this or why".

But he vowed: "We will find out who did this. We'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice."

Bill Bratton, a former head of Boston police who is now based in London, said: "Unfortunately in my country there are no shortage of potential suspects, if you will."

The marathon is held every year on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775.

The explosions happened on Boylston Street, four hours into the race and about two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, as amateur runners were reaching the finish.

More than 17,000 competitors had completed the race by the time the blasts struck.

The blasts struck close to the finish line in central Boston

TV helicopter footage showed blood on the ground and the desperate efforts of rescuers in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.

A woman near the second bomb, Brighid Wall, 35, said people had frozen, unsure of what to do.

Her husband threw their children to the ground, lay on top of them and another man lay on top of them and said, "Don't get up, don't get up."

She said she saw six to eight people bleeding profusely, including one man who was kneeling, dazed, with blood coming down his head. Another person was on the ground covered in blood and not moving.

"My ears are zinging. Their ears are zinging. It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground," she said.

Runner Tim Davey, from Virginia, was with wife Lisa and their children in a medical tent set up for exhausted runners. "They just started bringing people in with no limbs," he said.

Roupen Bastajian, 35, a state police officer from Rhode Island, had just finished the race when he heard the blasts.

"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs.

"A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

A senior US intelligence official said another two unexploded bombs were found and disarmed near the end of the 26.2mile (42km).

Windows in buildings nearby shattered into the streets

There were reports of a third blast at the JFK library a few miles away but that was later confirmed as a fire that was believed to be unrelated to the blasts.

No one has been arrested, although officers searched an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere as part of the investigation.

A no-fly zone was also put in place over the city as security was tightened and flights bound for Boston's Logan International Airport were briefly held up at other airports.

At the White House, the Secret Service expanded its security perimeter as a precaution.

One British runner, Anthony Meenaghan, said he was "safe and well" but added "can't believe what I saw and heard".

Mr Meenaghan, 21, is an architectural technology student from Sheffield Hallam University who is on a work placement in Boston.

He was running with his father, who is also called Anthony.

He tweeted: "Thanks for all messages. I'm safe and well. Can't believe what I saw and heard. Sad day."

A bomb squad officer inspects a bag along the route

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said the authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen".

At Massachusetts General Hospital, Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency services, said: "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here ... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."

British police are now reviewing security plans for this Sunday's London Marathon - the next major international marathon.

The London race's chief executive, Nick Bitel, said it was "a very sad day for athletics and for our friends in marathon running".

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "The scenes from Boston are shocking and horrific - my thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Boston Police said there is a helpline in the US for concerned relatives: 617 635 4500, and anybody with information about the blasts should call 1 800 494 tips.

The UK consulate in Boston said British Nationals in need of emergency consular assistance should call the Global Response Centre on 1 877 854 6872.

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