Japan-Hiroshima marks 77th anniv. of atomic bombing

Hiroshima marked the 77th anniversary of its atomic bombing by the United States.

The United States dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, devastating the city and killing 140,000 people. It dropped a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 more.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced he will attend the 77th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing in Hiroshima, “at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.”

The U.N. chief made the announcement in his speech on the opening day of the four-week meeting to review the landmark Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and achieving a nuclear-free world.

Guterres said his visit to Hiroshima for a few days is to underscore the importance of the conference. He said he will then visit two other countries in the region, which he didn’t name, to promote nonproliferation.