As negotiations seeking to curb Iran's nuclear program dominate headlines, Michi Hirata recalled the day seven decades ago when his city was decimated by an atomic bomb. In a Ynet interview, Hirata described the brilliant flash and shocking aftermath.
Hirata was nine years old when Hiroshima was bombed in 1945 and became, he said, hell on earth. He was at home with his father and aunt when the bomb exploded and his father pushed him into a shelter. As he was located about 2 kilometers from the epicenter, five or six seconds passed before the blast hit and darkness fell.
Ten minutes later, he emerged to discover that his home was destroyed. Only two or three days later did he discover that the entire city was obliterated.
Hirata explained that the residents of Hiroshima were unaware of the dangers of radiation, which is not detectable by sight or smell, and that even today there are unusual levels of cancer and other diseases.
Regarding the possibility that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, Hirata said he felt that in the name of the dead he had an obligation to tell people that nuclear weapons should not exist.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4640257,00.html
