NAGASAKI, Japan — The southern Japanese city of Nagasaki on Saturday commemorated the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing that killed tens of thousands, as aging survivors urged the world to ensure it is the last city to suffer such an attack.

The United States dropped the plutonium bomb on Aug. 9, 1945, killing 70,000 people by year’s end, three days after Hiroshima was devastated by an atomic blast that killed 140,000.

Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and its decades-long military aggression across Asia.

About 2,600 people, including representatives from more than 90 countries, attended a memorial ceremony at Nagasaki Peace Park. At 11:02 a.m. — the moment the bomb detonated — a bell tolled and participants observed a minute of silence.

Survivor Hiroshi Nishioka, 93, recalled that many who escaped initial injuries later suffered from bleeding gums, hair loss, and radiation-related deaths. “Never use nuclear weapons again, or we’re finished,” he said.

Mayor Shiro Suzuki, whose parents survived the attack, pledged to make Nagasaki “the last atomic bombing site now and forever,” and to work with global citizens toward abolishing nuclear weapons.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to push for dialogue between nuclear and nonnuclear states, centering on the Non-Proliferation Treaty ahead of its 2026 review conference in New York.

Survivors criticized Japan’s refusal to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, citing reliance on the U.S. nuclear deterrent.

With the average age of survivors exceeding 86 and their number dwindling to fewer than 100,000, activists are digitizing their testimonies for younger generations.

“We must keep records of the atomic bombing damages of the survivors and their lifetime story,” said Teruko Yokoyama, whose two sisters died from radiation-linked illnesses.

The ceremony ended with the release of doves, a symbol of peace, while church bells in Nagasaki’s Urakami Cathedral rang in unison — one restored after going missing following the bombing.

Survivors expressed hope that their stories will inspire a world without war. — Agencies