Japan commemorates 79th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima

A minute of silence was held at 8:15 a.m., the exact moment the first atomic bomb fell on the city, killing hundreds of thousands of people 79 years ago.

In the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered a strong message: "We need to move away from nuclear weapons." He stressed that current conflicts in the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East, are increasing the nuclear threat and global instability.

Mayor Matsui used the example of ending the Cold War through dialogue to prove that peace can be achieved. He called on countries to strengthen dialogue, build trust and abandon the idea of ​​relying on military force to solve international problems.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is also expected to speak at the ceremony.

Three days after the bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" devastated Hiroshima, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered to the Allies six days later, marking the end of World War II.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as of March this year, the number of survivors of the two bombings, known as hibakusha in Japanese, was 106,825, down 6,824 from a year earlier. The average age of the hibakusha is over 85.