Hiroshima atom bombing should never be repeated: US diplomat

Tokyo: A US diplomat, who attended this week's 70th anniversary of the American atomic bombing of Hiroshima, says nuclear weapons should never be used again.

Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller was the highest-ranking US official at yesterday's ceremony.

Gottemoeller today said that she was moved by seeing aging Japanese survivors continue to tell their stories to help the world understand the consequences of nuclear weapons.

She said the stories must be passed down to future generations and the world must continue nonproliferation efforts.

The US atomic attack on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killed 140,000 people. Another on Nagasaki three days later killed more than 70,000.