Explanation Board 01 - Ground Zero

In Hiroshima, there are 45 "Atomic Bomb Damage Explanation Panels" installed to convey and preserve the horrors of the atomic bombing for future generations. These panels are placed at surviving structures for which photographs documenting bomb damage remain. At the Shima Hospital (now Shima Surgical Clinic), which was at the hypocenter, there is "Atomic Bomb Damage Explanation Panel 01: Hypocenter."
The first atomic bomb used in human history is said to have detonated 600 meters above Shima Hospital, having drifted slightly southwest of its intended target. The ground-surface temperature around Shima Hospital reached 3,000–4,000°C—far exceeding iron’s melting point of 1,500°C—and a blast wave traveling at 440 meters per second, faster than the speed of sound, swept through. Shima Hospital was a two-story hospital with 15 rooms, ranging from private rooms to six-bed wards. On the day of the bombing, the hospital director was out making house calls and survived, but the building collapsed instantly. It is said that about 80 patients and staff all died, leaving no trace behind. Access to "Atomic Bomb Damage Explanation Panel 01: Hypocenter" is a 4-minute walk from Hondōri Station on the Hiroshima Rapid Transit Astram Line.