The thousands of civilians who died when the world's first atomic bomb was dropped in Japan were remembered in Wimbledon this week.

Members of the Wimbledon Disarmament Coalition gathered at Rushmere pond on Wimbledon Common on Tuesday to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the world' first nuclear atrocity which saw the US drop two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killing some 250,000 people.

Candles were floated on the surface of the water according to Japanese tradition in remembrance of those who died.

Joanna Bazley, secretary of the Wimbledon Disarmament Coalition, said: "It was moving and beautiful but an extra dimension was that we had a lot of young Japanese there.

"They have become even more aware of nuclear radiation because of the Fukushima disaster.

"Wimbledon Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been commemorating the anniversary of Hiroshima for the last 30 years.

"We launch the lighted boats in the Japanese tradition, vow never again and renew our commitment to working toward the global abolition of nuclear weapons and remember the people that died 68 years ago."

 

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