In the presence of fifty thousand people, the city of Hiroshima today condemned the 79th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb by the USA on August 6, 1945, which instantly led to the horrific death of seventy thousand people, in one of the darkest chapters of the world's history. history. They died of total gassing or body melting from the shock wave and the sudden rise in temperature that reached 3,871 degrees Celsius. The blast wave melted or collapsed over two-thirds of Hiroshima's buildings in a massive, expanding firestorm.
At 8:15 a.m., when the atomic bomb was dropped by the American bomber Enola Gay, a minute's silence was observed for the victims of the horror which by the end of 1945 had reached 140.000. They died from severe injuries or exposure to radiation. From 1945 to the present day, several thousand more have died from diseases caused by the bomb explosion, most from various types of cancer.
Three days after the "Little Boy" bomb decimated Hiroshima by detonating 600 meters above the ground, the Americans dropped a second bomb called the "Fat Man" that exploded over Nagasaki, where 40.000 civilians were killed instantly and dozens thousands more succumbed soon after.
Japan surrendered to the Allied forces six days later, marking the end of World War II.
Hiroshima City Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged the world to unite and urge world leaders to move away from the nuclear threat. The ceremony was attended by approximately 50.000 people including representatives from 109 nations and the European Union.
In the Peace Declaration, read during the annual ceremony at Peace Memorial Park, the Mayor of Hiroshima said such global tragedies seem to "deepen mistrust and fear among nations, reinforcing the position that, in order to solve international problems, we must rely on military force, which we should reject."
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"Politicians can overcome even critical situations through a resolute commitment to dialogue," the mayor said, noting that the Cold War ended through dialogue between Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, and then-US President Ronald Reagan .
Visitors arrived at the ceremony park early in the morning to offer flowers and say prayers.
One survivor, Yoshi Yokoyama, came in a wheelchair to the ceremony. The atomic bomb exploded about five miles away from a factory where he worked. She was blown up by the explosion, which killed her parents as well as many of her classmates.
“It was horrible, it was scary. I was a child," said the 95-year-old.
Hiromi Azuma, who grew up in the city listening to the stories of survivors, known as hibakusha, came to the park with her husband and 5-year-old daughter to honor the victims.
“The painful consequences of the bomb were not fully known (before its use) nor how long they would last. I believe that understanding what happened then can change our actions today,” he said.
Source: KYPE
