Visitors observe a minute of silence for the victims of the atomic bombing Credit: AP/Press Association Images
Hiroshima has fallen silent to remember victims of the atomic bombing.
The city was a major Japanese military hub with factories, military bases and ammunition facilities in the Second World War and the uranium bomb killed around 140,000 people and hastened Japan’s surrender.
Survivors, politicians and others took part in a ceremony to remember the tragedy of August 6 1945 when the US struck the city in western Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bowed in front of Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoVisitors observed a minute of silence for the victims of the atomic bombing, at 8.15am Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoKazumi Matsui, right, mayor of Hiroshima, and the family of the deceased bow before they place the victims list of the Atomic Bomb. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoThe families of the deceased offered flowers to Hiroshima Memorial Cenotaph Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was at the commemoration Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoMr Abe bowed to the families of the victims Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoVisitors observed a minute of silence for the victims of the atomic bombing Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoThe four-ton bomb was dropped from a B-29 bomber and exploded at 8.15am. Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoWorkers prepared wreaths for the atomic bombing victims Credit: AP Photo/Eugene HoshikoWhile a visitor lit a candle in front of the cenotaph for the atomic bombing victims before the start of the ceremony Credit: AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko