Hiroshima marks 70 years since atomic bomb as bell tolls in remembrance

The citizens of Hiroshima on Thursday marked 70 years since the US atomic bombing of their city. At 8:15 a.m. (2315 GMT), the exact time the bomb exploded on August 6, 1945, the crowd stood for a moment of silence in the heavy summer heat as cicadas shrilled and the Peace Bell rang. The Hiroshima bombing, which killed 140,000 by the end of the year, was followed by the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, which killed about 40,000 instantly. World War Two ended on Aug. 15 with Japan's surrender. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged that nuclear weapons be abolished. Attendees at the ceremony said it reminded them to cherish the peaceful times they have now. Others, especially survivors, worry this may be the last year they will be able to attend. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who also attended the ceremony, echoed the call for an end to nuclear weapons.