Respect lives and truth

Premier Wen Jiabao inspected the accident site and visited the victim's families in Wenzhou of Zhejiang province on Thursday after the rail tragedy that killed 39 people. His call for fair and reasonable compensation for the victims, a transparent investigation into the causes, and due punishment of the people responsible, was badly needed to shore up public confidence in the overall safety of public transport and other industries in this country.

Displaying his firm belief in solving all problems properly, Wen's comforting presence proved to be effective in cooling the sizzling heat of public anger that erupted in the wake of the authorities' immediate response to the tragedy.

The first official press conference held by the Ministry of Railways two days after the accident, instead of providing any convincing information, only provoked an angry response from the public.