Main content

Hiroshima survivor: I saw 'grotesque' effects of bomb

70 years since the bombing of Hiroshima, 84-year-old survivor Setsuko Thurlow has been remembering the scenes she saw after the atomic blast.

Thurlow (née Nakamura) was a 13 at the time of the bomb, and it was her first day in her role as an army decoder, stationed 1.2 miles from the hypocentre of the bomb.

This was unlike most school-age children of Hiroshima who were clearing fire lanes in the city centre that morning and were killed instantly.

When the bomb fell at 8.15am, Setsuko saw a “blueish white flash” that plunged her into “total darkness and silence”.

After being rescued from the collapsed building by a soldier, she witnessed the terrible injuries of survivors.

“Parts of their bodies were missing," she said. "They were covered with blood, and their skin and flesh burned and peeling off."

This clip is originally from 5 live’s coverage of the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, on Thursday 6 August 2015.

Release date:

Duration:

4 minutes

This clip is from