Tens of thousands of elderly survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, children and dignitaries gathered Monday at the city's Peace Memorial Park to mark the 62 anniversary of the tragedy and to remember the more than 250,000 people who ultimately died from the nuclear blast.

"Even to those who managed to survive, it was hell where they envied the dead," Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba told the crowd, describing scenes from the bombing such as charred faces and torn clothes.

In a speech followed by the release of 1,000 white doves into the sky, Akiba chastized the United States for failing to halt nuclear proliferation.

"The Japanese government, which has the duty to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons through international law, should protect its pacifist constitution which it should be proud of, and clearly say 'no' to antiquated and wrong U.S. policies," Akiba said.

The crowd bowed their heads for a moment of silence as two children rang the Peace Bell at 8:15 a.m., the same time the Enola Gay B-29 bomber dropped the bomb on the western Japanese city on Aug. 6, 1945.

The United States dropped a second atomic bomb on the southern city of Nagasaki on Aug. 9. Six days later, Japan surrendered.

This year's anniversary followed outrage by local residents over remarks by Japan's former defense minister that had appeared to condone the bombings.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized on Sunday to survivors in Hiroshima over the comments by Fumio Kyuma, who had said the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki "couldn't be helped" because they brought World War II to an end.

Editor: Donald