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How much destruction and loss of life did the Nagasaki bombing cause?

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U.S. hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands — nuclear weapon A test of a U.S. thermonuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb) at Enewetak atoll in the Marshall Islands, November 1, 1952.

The atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, resulted in catastrophic loss of life and widespread destruction. The Fat Man bomb, which detonated with the force of 21,000 tons of TNT, killed an estimated 40,000 people instantly. By the end of 1945, at least 30,000 additional people had succumbed to injuries and radiation poisoning, bringing the total death toll to approximately 70,000.123

The blast caused severe physical devastation, completely destroying or severely damaging about 40 percent of the city’s buildings. While the weapon was more powerful than the one used on Hiroshima, the city's uneven, hilly terrain helped shield some areas from the full impact of the blast.23

The primary causes of death were burns (accounting for approximately 80 percent of fatalities), mechanical injuries from falling debris and flying glass (14 percent), and radiation injuries (6 percent). The use of such weapons against civilian populations remains a profound moral tragedy, underscoring the catastrophic human cost of nuclear warfare.435