'POSSIBLE AMPUTATION' Bomb squad rush to New York’s Central Park after man injured in explosion

Explosion … man left with critical injuries after stepping on unknown object at New York’s iconic Central Park

A witness claimed the man was climbing on a rock structure when he stepped on something that 'exploded'

 A Man has been critically injured in an explosion in New York’s Central Park today after he stepped on something that “exploded” during the busy holiday weekend.

Blast … one witness told local media the man was walking on a rock when something exploded

The victim was said to have been climbing on a rock structure when there was a detonation. According to local media reports, the park is now closed and in the process of being evacuated.

Rushed to hospital … the unnamed victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital

The victim was facing a “possible amputation”, though it was not clear what caused the blast. Current reports suggest the victim suffered an injury to his leg, and was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.

The explosion occurred near the Fifth Avenue and East 62nd Street area over the Fourth of July holiday

Three young men from Washington D.C. are believed to have been involved in the incident. One of the men told WCBS 880: “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened”, immediately after the incident.

Sealed off … NYPD cops are seen in the closed-off section of Central Park as they investigate the cause of the incident

Serious injury ... three men from Washington D.C. are believed to have been involved in the incident

Emergency treatment ... medics tend to injured victim

Speaking to New York Daily News, witness John Murphy said he tried to keep the young man conscious following the blast. He described the scene: “I saw his friends standing there panicking. I saw the young man laying on the grass. His foot is all but gone.

“His friends claimed he was walking down the rocks and he stepped on it.” The blast was close to a funeral for Holocaust survivor and Nobel winner Eli Wiesel was taking place on Sunday morning local time.

Speaking to CBS2, a witness said the man was walking on a rock when something exploded. New York Times journalist Sarah Maslin Nir described the scene in a tweet: "Outside Eli Wiesel's funeral I heard a huge explosion just now.