A young person stretches across train tracks for a photo. Photo: Weibo

 

Two people take photos in front of an oncoming train in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in September 2015. The train was forced to a stop. Photo: Li Ziao

 

A model poses by a locomotive in Guangzhou during an amateur photo shoot. Photo: poco.cn

Police rescued two teens from an oncoming train in Changde, Hunan Province, on Monday as the unaware pair was preoccupied with taking selfies on railroad tracks.

The incident follows the death of a young woman last month in Guangdong Province who was struck by a train while posing for similar photos.

The news has prompted concerns on social media about what appears to be a growing trend of train track photography among teens.

Railway personnel at Hanshou Station first caught sight of the two girls taking photos of each other performing splits along the tracks on Monday.

With a train scheduled to pass through the station within minutes, employees quickly notified police officers stationed nearby.

Officers arrived just in time to pull the girls from the tracks before the train rushed past, Hunan-based Changsha Evening News reported Tuesday.

The two high school seniors, both 17, later told police the oncoming locomotive had totally caught them by surprise.

They were reprimanded by officers for their behavior and released to their parents.

Train track selfies are an emerging trend on Chinese social media. In particular, among teenage girls for their romantic overtones and connotations of adventure.

But sometimes the perfect photo op can be deadly.

A 19-year-old girl was killed by an oncoming train April 9 while taking selfies near tracks in Foshan, Guangdong Province.

She was one of many who had been attracted to the selfie spot near a field of roses to pose as a train passed, the Foshan Daily reported

Reports of similar trends popped up in 2015 along rail lines in Beijing and Yunnan Province.

While taking photos with trains is not illegal, trespassing on tracks is. However, punishment and fines are light.

According to Public Security Administration Punishments Law, anyone found posing a safety threat on or near railroad tracks faces an official warning and a maximum fine of 200 yuan ($30).