NEW JERSEY — A pipe bomb exploded in a Jersey Shore town shortly before thousands of runners were due to participate in a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors, authorities said Saturday.
No injuries were reported in the blast in Seaside Park around 9:30 a.m.
The third annual Semper Five run was canceled, and the immediate area was put on lockdown.
The pipe bomb was in a plastic garbage can when it exploded. Authorities immediately cleared the boardwalk and beach area, and bomb-sniffing dogs were being used to search the area.
Authorities said there was a report of at least one other explosive device that a state police bomb team would “make safe,” but further details were not disclosed.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Officials said runners had been scheduled to pass by the area around the time the blast occurred. But the start of the race had been delayed after an unattended backpack was found, and the area was mostly empty when the blast occurred.
Numerous state and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating.
It wasn’t clear when the boardwalk and beach will reopen. The public was being urged to avoid the area.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
