Damages Caused by the Blast

Ordinary wooden houses within a radius of one kilometer of the hypocenter were completely destroyed. Even the concrete buildings left standing were reduced to hollow shells. The buildings collapsed in one direction as if pointing toward the hypocenter. The blast wind slapped people against walls and showered them with a torrent of bullet-like glass splinters and debris.

Mitsubishi Arms Factory Ohashi Plant

About 1.3 kilometers north of the hypocenter.

( Photograph by Torahiko Ogawa)

Angle iron from a factory

Part of Mitsubishi Nagasaki Arms Factory Mori-machi Plant located about 1.3 kilometers from the hypocenter.

(Donated by Eisuke Ueguri)

Staircase from Zenza Primary School

This is part of the staircase from the southern wing of Zenza Primary School located about 1.5 kilometers south-southeast of the hypocenter. Glass splinters hurled by the blast are stuck in the wood.

Shiroyama Primary School

About 500 meters west of the hypocenter. Located on a hill without any shielding, the three-story reinforced building was crushed from the upper story as though hit by a gigantic hammer. (U.S. Army Institute of Pathology photograph)

Nagasaki Prison Urakami Branch

(site of present-day Peace Park) and environs About 300 meters north of the hypocenter. The reinforced-concrete prison walls were broken at the base and the prison buildings were completely destroyed. All 134 employees, their families and prisoners were killed.

(Owned by Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Photograph Investigation Association)

Peace Park today

A concrete wall from the ruins of a prison

The shattered remains of Chinzei Middle School

(site of present-day Kwassui High School) About 500 meters southwest of the hypocenter.

(U.S. Army Institute of Pathology photograph)