Post date: Aug 09, 2011 9:3:57 AM
A memorial is held in Nagasaki, Japan to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the bombing of the city. Julie Noce, reports.
JAPAN-NAGASAKI ANNIVERSARY - A bell tolls in Nagasaki Japan to remember those killed in an atomic bomb attack 66 years ago.
Hundreds of people attended a memorial event in the city that was all but destroyed when the U.S. dropped the bomb during World War II.
On August 9, 1945-- 27 thousand people died instantly and by the end of the year, the death toll was up to 70-thousand.
Today, the threat of a nuclear disaster is still very real as Japan continues to grapple with the aftermath of the meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The Prime Minister says switching to alternative energy sources is paramount.
JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER NAOTO KAN, SAYING:
"We must simultaneously review our standards of safety and reflect on and investigate what caused the current crisis. Additionally, we must reduce our reliance on nuclear power and aim to create a society that does not rely on nuclear energy."
Debate over whether Japan should go completely nuclear-free continues amongst business and government officials.
Julie Noce, Reuters