The shock wave of a deadly stampede at the Bund in Shanghai at the New Year's Eve has gone through the three-day New Year holiday. The incident involving 36 deaths will certainly bring about reflection across China.

Shanghai is China's most advanced city. But the tragedy has shown how far away the city and the entire country are from a developed society.

There is no doubt that someone will be held responsible for the tragedy. But we must make sure what caused this incident. Punishing people over various accidental triggers will not solve the problem.

We believe not only Shanghai but other cities across the country are paying greater than ever attention toward public safety. Officials are clear what such deadly incidents will mean for their careers. But such tragedies have still happened one after another, for various reasons.

Looking back to the New Year's Eve in Shanghai, many would say that had the police increased the number of officers or temporarily shut down the nearby subway stations, the crazily growing crowds could have been controlled.

But this is closing the barn door once the horse has fled. Such solutions are always clear in hindsight.

Next weekend or holiday, should we multiply the police presence anywhere the public might gather? Beside Shanghai, should we impose multiple measures at crowded places across the country? And, should we also pay more attention to fire hazards? A serious blaze in Harbin on Friday cost the lives of five fire fighters.

Preventing tragedies from happening is important. But preventive measures are tedious and expensive. When nothing happens, these measures might not gain wide public support.

Do people agree to largely increase investment in public safety? For example, could they double the number of police officers in Shanghai and Beijing? Also, does the public agree with launching public safety education nationwide, limiting the number of visitors at all scenic spots, and restricting the number of passengers on trains and buses during the Chinese New Year?

These will all cost money. Many people will be reluctant or even opposed to these measures. But if we don't do them, we are tacitly consenting to tragedies happening again.

To reduce the number of major tragedies, Chinese society has to increase investment in safety measures, as well raising the authorities' sense of responsibility.

Generally speaking, local governments have been paying more attention to public safety issues in recent years. Shanghai is not the worst among them. To upgrade public safety, we must do more than criticizing the authorities or blaming people for past tragedies.