Chinese student in coma after Boston Marathon bombings

Girl among more than 100 injured in bombings

Boston Marathon bombings

SCMP Reporter

Published: 5:10pm, 16 Apr 2013

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One female student from China is in a coma after suffering serious injuries in the Boston Marathon bombings, China's official Xinhua News Agency has reported quoting an unnamed official from the Chinese consulate in New York.

The woman, who was named by Xinhua as Zhou Danling, is a graduate student at Boston University, the American Chinese-language newspaper Qiaobao reported. Her mother had asked for the consulate's help in facilitating her journey to the US.

Boston University has confirmed on its website that an unidentified student is being treated at its Boston Medical Center. The student is said to be in stable condition.

The Chinese consulate in Boston had told Xinhua that the female student was injured and in a coma. Zhou is a graduate of Wuhan University in central China, and currently a student at Boston University in actuarial science, according to a Xinhua report.

No runner by her name is listed in the marathon organiser's registry of participants.

At least 86 registered runners in the marathon were from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, according to website. Of these, 44 registered China as their country of citizenship, 35 Hong Kong, and 7 Taiwan.

The event attracts some 20,000 participants and half a million spectators every year.

There have been no reports of Hong Kong residents being injured in the bombings. All Taiwanese participants have been reported as unharmed.

The two bombs ripped through the crowd at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three people and injuring more than 100 in what a White House official said would be treated as an “act of terror”.

Bill Iffrig, 78, running his third Boston Marathon, is knocked down after the second explosion. Photo: AP

It was the worst bombing on US soil since security was tightened after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and President Barack Obama promised to hunt down whoever was responsible for the attack on a day when tens of thousands of spectators packed the streets to watch the world-famous race.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said more than 100 people were injured in the explosions as the FBI said it would take the lead in the investigations.

Of the 23,326 runners who started the race on Monday, 17,584 finished before the blast, marathon officials said. Runners were diverted before officials brought the marathon to a halt.

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