The above picture from BBC News says between 2,000 and 6,500 children are believed to have been orphaned by the atomic bomb, although the exact number may never be known.
Sixty one years after the United States bombed Hiroshima that killied an estimated 140,000 people, a moment of silence was observed at 8.15 am yesterday, the time that the deadly atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, Japan.
Marking the occasion, some 45,000 people including Japan's prime minister Koizumi recited silent prayers, renewing calls for a nuclear-free world. This anniversary comes at a time when there is international concern over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and the Middle East crisis, which has claimed the lives of a growing number of people.
The world needs more than moments of silence to rid itself of the scourge of nuclear weapons and terrorist attacks.
