Japan is marking the 67th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in an annual ceremony. Tens of thousands of people attended the event, amid growing anti-nuclear sentiment and protests in the country.

A bell marked the start of a one-minute silence at 08:15 local time (23:15 GMT) when the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the bomb that killed 140,000 people.

Mayor Kazumi Matsui called for a nuclear-free world at the event at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

"I call on the Japanese government to establish without any delay an energy policy that guards the safety and security of the people," he said.

Mr Matsui also called for more support for aging survivors of the WW II attack who are battling health issues caused by radiation from the bomb.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, at the ceremony, said the lessons of Hiroshima must not be forgotten.