10 Consequences of Nuclear Bombs

HIROSHIMA, Japan— The detonation of a nuclear bomb unleashes tremendous destruction and inflicts true chaos on all those within the blast’s radius. At the hypocenter, or ground zero, the high temperature immediately vaporizes everything within its path. As the blast moves outward from the location of impact, most casualties occur as a result of burns from the heat emitted, or from the flying debris of buildings collapsed by the shock wave. Even acute exposure to the high radiation has its effects on people miles away. Some of these effects on people include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cataracts, hair loss and blood cell loss. In the long run, exposure can cause leukemia, cancer, infertility and birth defects. Then, after taking into account the radioactive fallout particles which enter the water supply and are inhaled and ingested by people at a distance from the blast, you have got one nasty situation on your hands.

The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 were the first and remain the only use of nuclear weapons in wartime and are thus our only warning of the consequences of nuclear bombs. According to most estimates, the immediate effects of the blast killed approximately 70,000 people in Hiroshima. This number nearly doubled by the end of 1945, after burns, radiation and related disease wreaked havoc on victims. By 1950, some estimates quote 200,000 casualties due to cancer and other long-term effects.

Check out these 10 photos of the consequences of nuclear bombs:

*Please be aware that some of the following photos contain graphic content.

These were first and only ever known nuclear bombings used in wartime.
Photo: Zidbits.com