April 26, 2011, was the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl accident. It is time, especially after the nuclear leak in Japan, to recall the most tragic nuclear accident and learn lessons from the tragedy, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

Though there are huge differences between Chernobyl and Japan's nuclear crisis, the two remain the only level-7 nuclear accidents. Japan's nuclear crisis shows that it failed to learn a vital lesson from Chernobyl: prioritizing the safety of nuclear power plants. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company had not taken enough precautionary measures.

Besides, the preparations to cope with such accidents cannot be overemphasized. What Japan has done after the crisis shows that it didn't make any preparations to deal with a major crisis. It lacked not only equipment and personnel, but also an emergency plan.

It is important that governments in countries where such nuclear accidents occur should exercise transparency to help everyone be prepared for possible dangers. Though the Japanese government did not hide anything, it has failed to satisfy the Japanese people and the world because it could not furnish timely explanations or respond to the crisis.

In fact, not just Japan, but also other countries that plan to or are using nuclear energy should learn from Chernobyl and the Japanese nuclear accident how not to commit the same mistakes again.

We need to remember that despite the tremendous progress in the peaceful use of nuclear power, we have to guard against the potential risks and be prepared for the worst.