Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Survivor Who Met Obama Passes Away at 88

Shigeaki Mori, who survived the Hiroshima atomic bombing as a child and was famously embraced by President Obama in 2016, has died at age 88. Mori dedicated decades of his life to honoring victims of the nuclear attack, including identifying 12 Americans who perished in the bombing.

A Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor who gained worldwide recognition when former President Barack Obama embraced him during a groundbreaking 2016 visit has passed away at age 88, according to Japanese media reports.

Shigeaki Mori died March 14 at a Hiroshima hospital, Jiji Press announced Tuesday. The emotional moment when Obama held the tearful survivor at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park became an iconic image from the first-ever presidential visit to the site by a sitting U.S. leader.

Mori was just eight years old on August 6, 1945, when American forces detonated the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, devastating the entire city and rendering him unconscious from the explosion’s tremendous force.

Three decades after surviving the attack, Mori dedicated himself to a lengthy mission to locate victims who had been cremated at his school’s playground. Through his tireless research efforts, he also discovered the identities of 12 Americans who lost their lives in the bombing.

Survivors of the nuclear attacks, called “hibakusha” in Japanese, continue working to preserve the memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki despite their aging population and decreasing numbers. These remain the only two cities in history to experience nuclear warfare. Officials estimate approximately 550,000 people have died from the attacks, including those who succumbed to radiation-related illnesses in subsequent years.