Reddit general manager Erik Martin has apologised for the "online witch hunts" the site facilitated following the bomb attack on the Boston Marathon.

The social news site acted as a hub for information and support in the wake of the tragedy, but Martin has admitted that it also hosted "dangerous speculation" in relation to the incident.

Charles Krupa/AP

"[Though] started with noble intentions, some of the activity on Reddit fuelled online witch hunts and dangerous speculation which spiralled into very negative consequences for innocent parties," he wrote on the site's public policy blog.

"The reddit staff and the millions of people on Reddit around the world deeply regret that this happened."

Martin went on to directly apologise to the family of missing Brown University student Sunil Tripathi, whom some Redditors tied to the bombings.

"We have apologised privately to the family of missing college student Sunil Tripathi, as have various users and moderators. We want to take this opportunity to apologise publicly for the pain they have had to endure," he added.

"We hope that this painful event will be channelled into something positive and the increased awareness will lead to Sunil's quick and safe return home. We encourage everyone to join and show your support to the Tripathi family and their search."

Numerous other social media sites set up aid services in the wake of the Boston bombings, with many turning to Google's Person Finder in an attempt to locate those who were unaccounted for.

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