New Kids On The Block star Joey McIntyre burst into tears during a radio interview on Tuesday (16Apr13) as he relived the horror of the Boston Marathon bombing and told how he narrowly escaped the blasts as he crossed the finish line.

The singer was among around 20,000 runners taking part in the annual race in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday (15Apr13) when two explosions ripped through the crowds close to the finish, killing three people, including an eight-year-old boy, and injuring around 150 more.

MCIntyre crossed the line just 11 minutes before the bombs went off and he was sitting on a nearby bench recuperating when he heard the explosions, and knew he was lucky to have escaped the carnage.

He tells Boston radio station Kiss 108, "I now know it happened 11 minutes after I finished. I was sitting in Copley Square, sitting on a bench talking to some guys about how it was my first marathon and I heard the blasts and... it sounded like a cannon... You just kind of knew (it was a bombing). People were in shock. People wanted to think it was something else..."

The pop star reveals he was concerned for his elderly father who was in the crowd directly opposite the spot where the bombs went off: "My dad was right across the street and I called him... He's 80 years old and his eyes aren't very good."

MCIntyre fought back sobs as he described finding out his dad was safe: "Some fans came running up to me... and we just kind of cried together (in the street) for a little and then I saw my dad."

The star then called his wife, who was unaware of the explosions, and told her what had happened.

MCIntyre insists the citizens of Boston will get through the tough times and "come back stronger", adding, "It's all about these people who have to deal with these injuries and death and you just want to get mad, you know... It's definitely a process and I know we will come back stronger... This a great city."