Rui Moreira pays tribute to the victims of the global tragedy in Nagasaki

In a tribute to the Japanese people and, in particular, to the citizens of Nagasaki, the Mayor of Porto, on his visit to the Japanese city, dedicated a day to touring the emblematic places that mark the atomic tragedy.

It was on August 9, 1945, precisely at 11:02 a.m., that the Bockscar bomber, a B-29 piloted by Major Charles Sweeney, dropped the Fat Man bomb, which exploded 500 meters from the ground in the Japanese city of Nagasaki. It is estimated that between 28,000 and 49,000 people died on the day of the explosion.

Rui Moreira, accompanied by his chief of staff, Vasco Ribeiro, visited the Peace Park, built near the hypocentre of the explosion and where the sculpture of Seibo Kitamura is located, about 10 meters high, in honour of the victims of the atomic bomb. Currently, the park contains multiple international tributes, but Porto was a pioneer in this tribute.

The Mayor of Porto laid a wreath next to the monolith monument, which marks the place where the atomic bomb fell (the hypocentre) and thus paid tribute, on behalf of all Porto residents, to the victims of that calamity.

Rui Moreira went to the Atomic Bomb Museum, inaugurated in 1996, where he was received by the director of the space, Inoue Takuji. The museum addresses nuclear history, focusing on the attack and its historical background, with detailed and emotionally strong descriptions of the devastation wrought.

At the end of the morning, the Mayor of Porto visited the National Peace Memorial for the Victims of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb, accompanied by its director, Takahira Noriyasu. In the space, designed by architect Akira Kuryu and located next to the museum, a tribute is paid to the victims of the atomic bomb, the number of which is counted annually, given the long-term effects of the catastrophe, currently numbering 195,000 victims. The monument was built to remember and pray for those who died in the atomic bombing and includes photos, memories, and personal accounts. It also offers information on international cooperation concerning the medical treatment of victims of nuclear accidents.