HUMAN MADE DISASTER: STORY OF HIROSHIMA BY NUR RAHMAH HAYATI

This week, we are going to share a story of Hiroshima. As we know, America has released an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the southern Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945,. The explosion immediately wiped out around 90% of the city and killed around 80,000 people. After that, tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure, and the devastating power of what Japanese emperor Hirohito described as a "new and most cruel bomb" was unleashed. Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing around 40,000 people.

"little boy"

Length:	120.0 inches (10 feet / 3.0 meters)
Diameter:	28.0 inches (71.1 cm)
Weight:	9,700 lbs (4,400 kg)
Yield:	15 kiltons (+/- 20%)

"fat boy"

Length:	128.375 inches (10 feet 8 inches / 3.25 meters)
Diameter:	60.25 inches (5 feet / 1.5 meters)
Weight:	10,265 lbs (4,656 kg)
Yield:	21 kilotons (+/- 10%)

One minute after...

At 8.15am Japan time, US bomber Enola Gay released the nuclear bomb named 'Little Boy' above central of Hiroshima. The 9,000-pound uranium-235 bomb was released and took 43 seconds to fall from the aircraft. The aircraft travelled 11.5 miles away before it was buffeted by shock waves from the blast.The aircraft, flown by Colonel Paul Tibbets and 11 other men of the United States military forces, had just dropped the first atomic bomb. Due to crosswind, the bomb missed the aiming point which is the Aioi Bridge by approximately 800ft and detonated directly over Shima Surgical Clinic. One minute after the A-bomb was released from the plane, it exploded 2,000 feet above the clinic in a blast equal to 12-15,000 tons of TNT, destroying five square miles of the city. People on the ground reported seeing a brilliant flash of light followed by a loud boom. Some 70,000–80,000 people (around 30% of the population) of whom 20,000 were soldiers, were killed instantaneously by the firestorm.

One hour later...

An hour after the explosion, the remains of Hiroshima were still burning. As well as the 10,000 dead, an estimated 70,000 people were injured as the impact flattened the majority of the city. Some of the reinforced concrete buildings in Hiroshima had survived the bang, and as the bomb detonated in the air, it was directed downwards rather than sideways. Over 90% of the doctors and 93% of the nurses in Hiroshima were killed or injured, as most had been in the downtown area which received the greatest damage. The hospitals were destroyed, hindering aid to the injured. In the communications room of Chugoku Military District Headquarters, which was responsible for issuing and lifting air raid warnings, a female high school student who had been mobilised to serve as a communications officers informed Fukuyama Headquarters of the attack. Using a special telephone, Yoshie Oka said: "Hiroshima has been attacked by a new type of bomb. The city is in a state of near-total destruction."

Ten years later...

Around a decade after the attack in Hiroshima, the long-term effects suffered by atomic bomb survivors began to become apparent. The increase in cancer incidences was first noted in 1956, and shortly afterwards, tumour registries were started in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki to collect data on the excess cancer risks caused by the radiation exposure. Among the effects, one of the most deadly was leukaemia - mostly affecting children. An increase in leukaemia appeared about two years after the attacks and peaked around four to six years later. Around 1,900 cancer deaths can be attributed to the after-effects of the bombs. An epidemiology study by the Radiation Effects Research Foundation states that from 1950 to 2000, 46% of leukaemia deaths and 11% of solid cancer deaths among the bomb survivors were due to radiation from the bombs.

THE REASONS OF THE BOMBING

Many reasons are given as to why the US administration decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Reasons include the following:

· The United States wanted to force Japan's surrender as quickly as possible to minimize American casualties.

· The United States needed to use the atomic bomb before the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan to establish US dominance afterwards

· The United States wanted to use the world's first atomic bomb for an actual attack and observe its effect.

Given all of these reasons, the US was in quite a hurry to drop the bomb. Shortly after successfully testing history's first atomic explosion at Trinity, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945, the order to drop the atomic bomb on Japan was issued on July 25.

THE IMPACT OF BOMBING

From the story, we know the bombing give extremely impact to them. Especially, the radiation and physical damage. Psychologists in Hiroshima reported increased complaints among the survivors of neurotic symptoms, including general fatigue, amnesia, and lack of concentration. They also having symptoms likes nightmares, flashbacks, intense anxiety, feeling numb, anger and irritability, insomnia, having trouble concentrating, depression, and suicidal thoughts. However, 90 percent of all medical personnel were killed or disabled, and the remaining medical supplies quickly ran out. Many survivors began to notice the effects of exposure to the bomb’s radiation. Most of them experience hair loss caused by exposure to radiation.