Canadians caught in aftermath of explosions at the Boston Marathon finish line

Canadians who scrambled for safety in the aftermath of two deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon described a sea of chaos as they joined a heaving mass of runners and spectators searching for loved ones.

At least three people were killed and more than 130 were injured as the area around the finish line was splattered with blood, littered with shattered glass and shrouded in smoke.

By Monday evening, there were no reports of Canadians being among the dead or injured, said an official in the office of Diane Ablonczy, minister of state for consular affairs.

For some Canadians, a few seconds made all the difference between life and death.

Paul Cloutier of Toronto was cheering on his daughter and had gone into a store near the finish line to buy her a Boston Marathon sweatshirt before she finished the race.

“I was going to try and buy one in there but I thought it was too expensive so I sat down and had a coffee,” he told The Canadian Press. “That’s exactly where it blew up, right at the store.”

It sounded like a large transformer explosion, he said. It shook the ground and filled the area with white smoke. Then there was a second blast.

“I called my wife in Toronto and said, ‘Get on CNN right away. All hell just broke loose,”‘ said Cloutier.

His 25-year-old daughter, Kiki, had finished her race minutes before the first blast. She was still sitting on the ground past the finish line putting her sweater on when she heard a boom, the ground rattled and a plume of smoke shot up in the air.

“A cop asked me to get up off the ground because people started running towards me,” she said on the phone from her hotel after the race.

“It’s pretty scary, especially being Canadian. I’ve never been through something like this. It’s scary how vulnerable you are.”

Video: Explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon caught on video

Other Canucks were a little further away from the epicentre of the blasts but felt their impact nonetheless.

Jennifer Mork, of Calgary, was watching her runner husband sign his time at marathon headquarters at the Boston Fairmont Copley Plaza – a block from the finish line – when she heard two explosions in quick succession.

“It sounded like a canon,” she told The Canadian Press from the locked-down hotel. “Everyone was sort of saying, ‘What was that? That’s not normal’.”

Mork, 33, said a huge medical tent intended for the runners became a quick makeshift hospital.

Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, was in the medical tent being treated for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for victims of the explosions. She says she saw people who were “really, really bloody.”

For those who weren’t injured, locating their loved ones became a frenzied priority.

Ottawa resident Guy Doucet was waiting for his wife to cross the finish line when he heard the first blast and saw a plume of white smoke before being rocked by a second explosion about a few seconds later.

“People started running in the opposite direction, I just followed,” he said. “My main worry was seeing if my wife was OK…the last runner told my wife that she finished 38 seconds after the bombs went off.”

Video: Vancouver runner Susan Danard crossed the finish line 10 minutes before explosions went off at the Boston Marathon. She explains what she witnessed and what it means to take part in the iconic road race.

Canadians struggled to reach family and friends at home after Boston authorities jammed cell phone service in the aftermath of the blasts. Many turned to Twitter to let loved ones know they were safe.

“Just letting everyone know I’m okay. Was across the street from the finish line explosions outside my hotel. Thank u all for the messages xo,” said Josh Cassidy, of Oakville, Ont., who finished eighth in men’s wheelchair race.

“Chaotic here right now. Terrible, terrible events,” tweeted Canadian runner Rob Watson, of London, Ont., who finished 11th in the men’s race.

Some 27,000 runners, including more than 2,000 Canadians, took part in the 42-kilometre race, one of the world’s premier marathons.

The blasts went off about three hours after the winners crossed the finish line.

There was no word on the motive or who may have carried out the attack, and police said they had no suspects in custody. Authorities in Washington said there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Alan Brookes, race director of Canada Running Series, which organizes Toronto’s Scotiabank Marathon among other events said Monday’s blasts have rattled the tight-knit running community.

“I certainly feel a little shaken by it, it’s just such a tragic event. And as a race organizer…your heart goes out to everyone who was injured or even worse, lost their lives,” he said shortly after leaving the marathon.

“The day turned from that sort of triumph and sense of joy and achievement that you get in a marathon to this terrible tragedy.”

Brookes said the running community will doubtlessly be re-evaluating organizational plans for marathons going forward.

“I’m sure we’ll all pull together to do everything we possibly can to revise our security and safety manuals to make sure that marathons continue to be wonderful, joyful spectacles on the world stage.”

Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his thoughts and prayers to the victims of the explosions.

“It is truly a sad day when an event as inspiring as the Boston Marathon is clouded by such senseless violence,” he said in a statement. “We stand with our American neighbours in this difficult time.”

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews also tweeted his concern.

“Thoughts and prayers to those injured in Boston; continuing to monitor closely as details come to light,” he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has set up an emergency line – 1-800-387-3124 – to offer assistance to Canadians.

-With files from Colin Perkel in Toronto.