80 years later, Hiroshima bombing survivors warn of new nuclear warfare

HIROSHIMA, Japan — For more than half a century, chimes have rung out across the Japanese city of Hiroshima every morning at exactly 8:15

HIROSHIMA, Japan — For more than half a century, chimes have rung out across the Japanese city of Hiroshima every morning at exactly 8:15.

The solemn ritual marks the precise moment Aug. 6, 1945, when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the world’s first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, killing about 70,000 people instantly.

An aerial photograph of Hiroshima shortly after the U.S. atomic bombing.Universal History Archive / Getty Images fileOn Wednesday, people in Hiroshima commemorated the 80th anniversary of the devastating attack, as nuclear fears mount globally amid unresolved military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

In a one-minute silent tribute, the city remembered the widescale death and destruction caused by the 10,000-pound bomb, which created a huge mushroom cloud that rose to more than 60,000 feet.

“It is our duty to convey the reality of the atomic bombings not only to the people of Japan but also to the people of the world,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a speech.