Hiroshima marks 75 years since atomic bombing in scaled-back ceremony

On this day 75 years ago, the US had dropped the first of its two atomic bombs on Japanese cities — the first, in Hiroshima, killed more than 70,000 people instantly. A second bomb, which was dropped three days later over Nagasaki, killed 40,000 more. The nuclear warfare put paid to the World War II and a devastating chapter in world history. Here's what you need to know about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks.

On the morning of August 6, at 8:15 am local time, a B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb, called “Little Boy”, with a force of over 20,000 tonnes of TNT on the city of Hiroshima. This was when most industrial workers had already reported to work, many others were en route and children were in schools.

The US Strategic Bombing Survey of 1946 notes that the bomb, which had exploded slightly northwest of the centre of the city, killed over 80,000 people and injured as many. Three days later, another atomic bomb, called “Fat Man”, was dropped over Nagasaki around 11:00 am local time, killing more than 40,000 people.