BOSTON: Boston payed solemn tribute Tuesday to the victims and survivors of the marathon bombings that traumatized the northeastern US city and stunned the nation one year ago.

Three people were killed and more than 260 others wounded when two bombs made of explosives-packed pressure cookers detonated near the finish line of the city’s famous marathon on April 15, 2013.

The attacks were allegedly carried out by two brothers of Chechen descent, who had lived in the United States for years.

Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Jill, lead a tribute at the Hynes Convention Center just steps from the scene of the attack in the heart of the city of nearly one million people.

There was a moment of silence at 2:49 p.m., the time when the first bomb exploded.

President Barack Obama observed a moment of silence privately with aides in the Oval Office.

Obama sent thoughts and prayers to those struggling to recover, and paid tribute to the “incredible courage and leadership of so many Bostonians in the wake of unspeakable tragedy.”

“We offer our deepest gratitude to the courageous firefighters, police officers, medical professionals, runners and spectators who, in an instant, displayed the spirit Boston was built on — perseverance, freedom and love,” he said in a statement.