Owen Kock
Bloemfontein. – The Department of International Relations confirmed just before 08h00 this morning that two South Africans were injured during two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.
Departmental spokesperson Clayson Monyela, also confirmed to Courant, that 28 South Africans registered for the marathon.
“The department can confirm that two South Africans were injured in the Bostoin blast. Twenty eight South Africans registered for the marathon and we have been monitoring the situation following the explosion,” Monyela said.
“The injured will be receiving consular assistance from our people in Boston and we continue to mionitor the situation and will update South Africans as this is a developing story.
“Information changes almost hourly, but soi far we can confirm that two has been injured and we will update you as the day progresses,” Monyela added.
Meanwhile, South African athlete Rene Kalmer was having lunch after her race in the Boston marathon when she heard two explosions outside, she said in an interview with eNCA this morning.
"It’s really very emotional…it feels like we are in a movie, except that it is reality," Kalmer said.
"We were sitting…. We were busy having lunch and we just heard the explosions going off and we weren’t really sure what has happened, and then next thing the volunteers ran into the dining hall and just asked all the elite athletes to go upstairs to the hospitality room to make sure everyone is okay.
"I just feel sorry for the volunteers. They know a lot of people, so they are pretty rattled because a lot of their family and friends [were] outside," Kalmer said in the interview, which was posted on the eNCA website. She finished the race in a time of 2:37:15.
