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A young tourist is in a critical condition in hospital after his foot was 'blown off' when he stepped on an explosive device inside New York's Central Park.

Connor Golden, who has been named locally, is believed to have been climbing rocks with two friends at the tourist hotspot when he stood on an object that 'blew up'.

The 19-year-old was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan in a 'critical' state after suffering 'major' injuries to his foot, according to local media.

Horrified witnesses said the teenager suffered a 'severed foot' - while some claimed part of his left leg was also '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 heavily.

(Image: AFP) (Image: AFP) (Image: REUTERS)

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 that Connor may have accidentally stepped on a firework, causing it to go off.

Police told reporters that traces of fireworks wrappers were discovered on the rock, according to multiple media outlets.

They also referred to the blast - which took place just yards from where the funeral of a Holocaust survivor was under way - as an 'amputation incident'.

Reports claim Connor may have to have his left leg amputated to save his life.

One of the teenager's friends said:“We don’t know what happened. There was a small explosion, then dust.”

(Image: AFP/Getty) (Image: Getty) (Image: AFP)

WCBS reporter Sophia Hall was in the park at the time of the explosion, which took place during the July 4th holiday weekend and sparked fears of a bomb.

She said an eyewitness told her that Connor was climbing rocks 'when he stepped on something that blew up', according to CBS New York.

Mourners attending the nearby funeral of World War Two concentration camp survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel also heard the explosion.

One witness told the New York Daily News that the victim's foot was 'all but gone'.

John Murphy, 53, said: "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 object]. It looks like there was an explosion."

(Image: AFP) (Image: REUTERS)

Mr Murphy said Connor - who was visiting the city from Washington DC with his pals, Thomas Hinds, 20, and Joseph Stabile, 18 - was conscious when medics arrived.

He added that the victim's friends denied they were carrying fireworks.

“It was an explosive of some sort. The damage is just awful. I didn't see any metal. It was very weird," Mr Murphy said.

Another witness, Sara Gordon, 27, told the newspaper: "His left foot looked severed. It was very graphic. It sounded like a cannon."

There is no sign the blast was related to Mr Wiesel's funeral on East 61st Street.

(Image: Reuters)

The New York Police Department's bomb squad is currently at the scene of the explosion, which shocked holidaymakers and residents alike.

The force confirmed this evening that a 19-year-old suffered a severe injury to his left foot in the explosion and was in a 'critical but stable' condition.

"He stepped on a rock or some object and there was an explosion that followed," a spokesman said.

Police said they were investigating whether the blast, occurring the day before the city's Fourth of July pyrotechnics show, involved a firework or some other kind of explosive.

According to the New York Post, the incident took place near East 60th Street and Fifth Avenue, a short distance away from the Central Park Zoo.