Japan marks 81 years since atomic bombing of Nagasaki

Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing on Sunday with a memorial ceremony calling for lasting peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.The city fell silent at 11:02 a.m., the exact time the bomb exploded on August 9, 1945.

More than 73,000 people were estimated to have died by the end of that year, while many survivors later suffered radiation-related illnesses. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and representatives from 98 countries attended the ceremony. Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles and pledged efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons.