The people of Hiroshima have commemorated the 64th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bomb attack.

At a ceremony in the city, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso backed Barack Obama’s call to abolish nuclear weapons. “The sufferings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shall not be repeated,” he said, “ and we devote ourselves to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realisation of world peace.” Some 140 000 people died in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima by the United States, and hundreds of thousands are believed to have died of related injuries or sickness in the decades since. A week after a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan surrendered, bringing World War 2 to a close.More about: Anniversary, Ceremony, Hiroshima, Japan, Nuclear desarmement

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