Marking the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bomb attack, Hiroshima once again fell silent Monday morning while traffic came to a halt in remembrance of those lost, with dignitaries urging world leaders to strengthen efforts to abandon nuclear weapons and highlighting the slow progress toward abolition.

In the city¡¯s annual Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to make the landmark U.N. treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons ¡°a milestone along the path to a nuclear-weapon-free world,¡± but stopped short of calling on Tokyo to join the 2017 pact.

The mayor also touched on the rise of self-centered nationalism around the world, alluding to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and warning that with 14,000 nuclear warheads remaining worldwide, ¡°the likelihood is growing that what we saw in Hiroshima after the explosion will return, by intent or accident, plunging people into agony.¡±