Hiroshima Day serves as a reminder of the devastation caused by nuclear warfare and aims to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament throughout the world
Representational image. AFP
Hiroshima Day is commemorated every year on 6 August to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city Hiroshima during World War 2. Around 80,000 people were killed almost immediately and more than 35,000 were injured because of the bombing. It also resulted in massive structural damage, with 69 percent of the buildings in Hiroshima being destroyed. The unfortunate event took place on 6 August 1945. Another atomic bomb was also dropped on the city Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. The second bombing killed 74,000 people. The incidents mark the only recorded use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict.
History:
During World War 2, Japan had refused to surrender before the Allied Forces and was still holding out. To force its surrender, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Japanese city Hiroshima via an American B-29 bomber on 6 August 1945. This inhumane activity wiped out 39 percent of the population of the city. After three days, US dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced his country’s unconditional surrender in World War II via radio on 15 August after witnessing the devastation caused by the bombings. The people of the two cities had to face serious after-effects of nuclear bombing for many years.
Significance:
This year marks the 77th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing. A peace ceremony takes place every year in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park to mark this day. To pay homage to the innocent lives lost during the bombing, many survivors of the attack gather there. An annual event by Galway Alliance Against War is also organised to remember the day in Eyre Square, Galway.
Impact:
Together, the two nuclear attacks led to somewhere between 129,000 and 226,000 people losing their lives. Radiation poisoning, also referred to as “atomic bomb disease”, led to serious health effects like increased risk of cancer, birth defects, severe mental illnesses, and other complications.
Hiroshima Day serves as a reminder of the devastation caused by nuclear warfare and aims to raise awareness about nuclear disarmament throughout the world.
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