Ground Zero

Not many are aware of the fact that Shima Hospital was the structure that incurred the maximum wrath of the atomic bomb and is therefore called the ‘Ground Zero’ of the bombing. Located directly below the ‘Little Boy’ that exploded at a height of 600 m, this brick building saw the worst of the fireball that consumed the city of Hiroshima on the fateful day of August 6 1945. In fact, this establishment was located only a few metres away from what is now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome. As far as the tales of the impact of the bomb are concerned, they are not for the faint hearted. The temperature was said to have gone up to a million degree Celsius and the brightness of the blast is believed to have exceeded that of the sun. While the medical staff and the patients died instantly, the founder Dr. Kaoru Shima, an established surgeon in the city, was lucky to have been away for work. In fact, he was the only survivor from among the hospital personnel and authorities along with his nurse. He returned the same night in order to treat the injured people.
The hospital was rebuilt three years after the bombing and continues to function successfully till today under the name ‘Shima Geka’. This is yet another illustration of the perseverance of the people of Hiroshima.