Central Park explosion: Man in critical condition after leg is 'blown off' at New York tourist hotspot

A young man is in a critical condition in hospital after stepping on an explosive device inside New York's Central Park. The victim, who has not been named, is believed to have been climbing rocks at the tourist hotspot when he stood on an object that 'blew up'. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan in a 'critical' condition after suffering serious injuries to his leg, according to local media. Horrified witnesses said the man suffered a 'severed foot' - with some claiming his left leg was 'blown off' in the incident. Others told of how they heard a sound like a 'cannon blast' before the victim was thrown onto the ground, where he lay bleeding.Central Park has reportedly been closed and evacuated following the explosion, which occurred at around 11am local time (4pm UK time). The nature of the blast remains unclear, but it is believed the man may have accidentally stepped on a firework, causing it to go off. Police said they were dispatched to an 'amputation incident'. WCBS reporter Sophia Hall was in the park at the time of the explosion. She said an eyewitness told her that the man was climbing rocks 'when he stepped on something that blew up