A cargo truck transporting fireworks suddenly exploded on the Lianhuo Highway over the Yichang Bridge in Central China's Henan Province Friday, causing the collapse of the bridge.

It has been reported that these fireworks came from a company in Shaanxi Province in Northwest China, and the whole incident involves illegal production, illegal loading and illegal transportation.

In recent years, there have been quite a number of accidents involving fireworks transportation. It's time to draw serious lessons from these tragedies.

Clear solutions are needed for the deeply seated reasons behind the bridge collapse.

The insufficient capacity of transporting fireworks in high season, especially prior to the Spring Festival, the vehicles without safety qualification used by some companies for the sake of profit, and the lack of supervision make fireworks transportation dangerous.

Especially when regulators turn a blind eye to the vehicles on the road, accidents are bound to take place.

Obviously, there was a lack of supervision in the latest accident. Pucheng county, Shaanxi Province, where the firework company is based, is the largest firework production center in Northwest China. How does the local government regulate companies?

Moreover, there's a long way to travel from Shaanxi to Hebei, the fireworks' destination. During the Spring Festival transportation period, law enforcement on the roads is supposed to be harsh. But how could the overloaded truck run without being stopped?

The authorities have set explicit regulations on the safety standards of the transportation of fireworks. But without strict enforcement, the law itself is not enough, and accidents are incubating.

The responsibility of regulators and the safety of firework transportation should never be set apart.

The Lianhuo bridge collapse can be made an exemplary case. Authorities should make clear the responsibility of companies and investigate into part of the regulation process.

Those who fail to do their jobs should be held responsible for the dead as well as for the economic losses. Those who don't take life seriously and simply chase profits should bear the costs.

The bridge has collapsed. If illegal fireworks transportation still continues, the safety of the public will still be under threat.

We hope that the investigation into this accident will end the loopholes of the system and prevent such accidents from happening again.

The Beijing News