I am deeply shocked by the explosions at the Boston Marathon and their terrible consequences.
We offer our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the victims, and we wish the many injured a swift recovery.
An occasion that should only have been a joyous sports event, steeped in tradition, for tens of thousands of runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators from Boston and around the world has instead turned into a tragedy.
I hope that the investigations which have already begun will quickly put the authorities on the trail of those responsible for this tragedy.