How many people did the nuke kill that was dropped on hiroshima?

Question

Like right when it exploded, not the radiation effects just when it exploded?

Answer 1

like 150,000

Answer 2

I have read the "wiki" material and although I do not use them they seen as I recall quote all the estimates. Most of the answers are fairly good. No real census, and well the US did not get into the city for weeks.

Issues of under counting: simple: number of Japanese military in the city that day, estimates are varied, numbers, large, of men off on ships in the harbor, it could have been very high.

I read the official Japanese statistics: 200,000 long term included, I am leaning this high as we know now that there were many Koreans -forced labor- in the city. The Japanese also count all the failed births and such and premature deaths. OK.

We do not have a good figure on US POW's in the city but I do not think the number was as high as stated but we (Army) would have well "lost' that number, fast.

I was in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the early 1950's, yes I am "that old", but mostly in Nagasaki, and i can only guess what I know about one city applies to the other.

The Hiroshima bomb was a direct, hit at the altitude they wanted,
Nagasaki was a "miss', that saved thousands, many, thousands,
but the direct seconds; few hours is likely much less than 100,000, the another 30,000 in the weeks after seems high but possible.


Actually very few physicians on-site the first weeks.

I could see, the area of the main blast damage, and the area was vast, much greater than Nagasaki. I am being honest but I was never uncomfortable in either city, the Japanese were all very open and well "kind" to us. No open hatred.

They were loyal, religious to their Emperor and such. sad, folly but that is how they viewed such. They picked out some of our culture, mostly fashion and music and learned to build cars.

I did speak fairly good Japanese, but never was comfortable nor were the Japanese around those that lived past that day in August 1945. The people who survived the two Atomic bombs were treated as "leppers" in Japan.

Guess we gotta say: Yahoo Answers is great: where else are you going to get an answer from someone that was there, even later.

Answer 3

Sean ... If Wikipedia is correct, these figures stated in many of the answers must be mere guesses. Wikipedia says in part, "In estimating the death toll from the attacks, there are several factors that make it difficult to arrive at reliable figures: inadequacies in the records given the confusion of the times, the many victims who died months or years after the bombing as a result of radiation exposure, and the pressure to either exaggerate or minimize the numbers, depending upon political agenda."

The number they provide is 140,000, HOWEVER, this includes the fatalities from the detonation AND the associated after-effects, which is not what you wanted, unfortunately.

I hope this helps, though. Good luck, Sean.

Answer 4

This website provides detailed estimates. It is not a simple answer, largely because the census of that city was not complete:

Answer 5

An estimated 80,000 died and completely destroyed 68% of the cities buildings.

60,000 more died from the radiation poisoning (I know you didn't ask, but I thought I would include it.)

Answer 6

According to my Grandpa who served in WW2-
Not enough.
He still hates Japanese. He threatened to slice the tires on my new Toyota last week.
Gotta love him.

Answer 7

Guess not enough since they still refused to surrender til the second bomb was dropped. I do know it was less than was killed when we firebombed Tokyo.

Answer 8

140,000 in Hiroshima but total from the bombings was about 210,000 people.

Answer 9

an estimated 60,000 more people died from injuries or radiation

Answer 10

over 50,000 were killed immediately.

another 20,000 or so after long term illnesses.

100,000's of injuries and abnormal births.