Girl, 13, identified as victim of Hiroshima atomic bombing after 80 years
How a Hiroshima victim was identified after eight decades
- Hatsue Kajiyama, a 13-year-old girl killed in the Hiroshima atomic bombing, has been identified nearly eight decades later through DNA analysis, marking the first successful identification of a victim of the 6 August 1945 attack using this method.
- Her identity was confirmed by comparing DNA extracted from her preserved hair and ashes with that of her 91-year-old sister.
- The identification process was initiated by her nephew, Shuji Kajiyama, who contacted Hiroshima authorities after noticing a name on a cenotaph registry and suspecting an incorrect record.
- Hatsue Kajiyama was a second-year senior high student helping to create a fire control zone when the nuclear bomb was dropped, killing her, her grandmother, and classmates.
- Hiroshima officials have said they will continue to offer DNA testing of preserved hair upon request, hoping to identify more victims of the bombing.