Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province, has allocated 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) to build 19 public memorial halls offering free centralized funeral venues for the public, two years after a fatal road accident that claimed 20 lives.

The initiative stems from an evaluation report released by the Jiangxi provincial emergency management department on Jan 3 regarding road safety rectification measures after a major traffic accident that in 2023.

The accident took place around midnight on Jan 8, 2023, on a highway in Youlan township, Nanchang. It was caused by a speeding and overloaded truck.

An investigation in December 2023 revealed that a funeral procession was underway on the road during the truck’s journey. The smoke from burning offerings and firecrackers during the funeral obscured the driver’s vision, leading to a tragic collision with the mourners.

The report said that since the accident, the governments of Nanchang and Jingdezhen cities have rectified the issues identified in the incident and taken appropriate actions against those involved.

Since 2023, Nanchang has conducted 88 inspections on traffic safety and cracked down on 47,000 cases of overloaded trucks.

The city has also prioritized funeral safety management, enhanced funeral procession tracking mechanisms, defined funeral routes and bolstered safety protocols for transporting remains.