Kobe marks quake anniversary

Thursday marks the 18th anniversary of the earthquake that hit Kobe City and its surrounding areas, western Japan. Local communities held ceremonies to remember the nearly 6,500 victims of the disaster.

Families and friends of the victims lit candles arranged in the shape of the numbers 1 and 17 at a Kobe park. The numbers represent the month and day the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck in 1995.

Crowds fell silent at 5:46 AM -- the exact time the quake struck.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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