Thousands gathered in Nagasaki on Saturday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the city’s atomic bombing, which killed over 27,000 people instantly. The US dropped a plutonium-239 bomb on August 9, 1945, destroying the city and causing widespread death and radiation exposure.
Mayor Shiro Suzuki warned that current global conflicts could push the world into nuclear war again, urging leaders to return to the principles of the UN Charter and abolish nuclear weapons. He quoted a survivor who described the horrors of a nuclear attack, with bodies strewn about like stones and people’s eyeballs popping out.
Representatives from 95 countries attended the ceremony at the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park, including the US and Israel, which neither confirms nor denies having nuclear weapons. Russia was also represented, highlighting the ongoing threat of nuclear war.
The anniversary marks a crucial moment for peace advocates, with Japan’s A-bomb survivors still suffering from radiation effects and social discrimination. Their stories fuel efforts to achieve a nuclear-free world, although Japan is not a signatory or observer of the UN treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/09/nagasaki-mayor-warns-of-nuclear-war-as-city-marks-80-years-since-a-bomb.html