Nagasaki marks 64th A-bomb anniversary

Nagasaki observed the 64th anniversary of the US atomic bombing of the city on Sunday.

A memorial service was held at the Peace Park near Ground Zero, with about 5,800 people taking part.

They included representatives from 29 countries -- a record number -- and the mayors of 87 overseas cities who are attending the Mayors for Peace conference.

The participants observed a minute's silence at 11:02 AM, the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped.

In his speech, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue praised US President Barack Obama's appeal for a nuclear-free world. He called on people everywhere to declare their support for Obama and take steps to achieve a world without nuclear weapons.

UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto said he came to Japan to express solidarity with the victims and survivors of one of the greatest atrocities the world has ever witnessed.

At the Mayors for Peace conference, atomic bomb survivors and citizens collected signatures to urge Obama to visit Nagasaki.

A participant from Belgium, who signed the petition, said visiting Nagasaki and listening to survivors' accounts made him realize the importance of abolishing nuclear weapons.

He added that leaders from all over the world should visit Nagasaki.

2009/08/09 22:44(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)