TOKYO (AP) — Eighty years ago, on the night of March 10, 1945, Tokyo was engulfed in flames as American B-29 bombers launched a devastating firebombing raid. In just a few hours, over 100,000 people perished, and the city’s densely populated downtown was reduced to ashes. The horror of that night, often overshadowed by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, remains a painful memory for the few survivors who are still alive today.

Unlike the victims of the atomic bombings, those who endured the Tokyo air raid have received little government recognition or support. As time runs out, elderly survivors are making a final effort to share their testimonies and push for long-overdue aid.

A City Engulfed in Flames

Shizuyo Takeuchi, 94, was only 14 years old when the bombs fell. She recalls the sky turning red as incendiary bombs ignited the traditional wooden homes of Tokyo’s “shitamachi” district. With nowhere to run, thousands of people were trapped in the inferno, while others sought refuge in the Sumida River—only to drown or be crushed in the chaos.

Takeuchi and her family had already lost their home in an earlier air raid and were staying with relatives. Her father, sensing danger, chose an escape route away from the panicked crowds, a decision that likely saved their lives. As she walked through the smoldering ruins the next morning, she saw the charred remains of a mother and child. At first, she felt sorrow, but after witnessing so many bodies, numbness set in.

A Forgotten Tragedy

Estimates suggest that over 105,000 people died that night, and a million more were left homeless. The scale of destruction rivaled or even surpassed that of the atomic bombings later in 1945. Yet, despite the staggering loss, the Tokyo firebombing has received little official recognition, and survivors have been left to cope on their own.

For those like Takeuchi, the fading memories of that night must not be lost. She continues to tell her story, hoping that future generations will remember the horror of war and work to prevent such devastation from ever happening again.