A screenshot from an online video shows a pregnant woman with her head stuck in a guard rail in Yulin, northwest China's Shaanxi province, on March 28, 2016. [Screenshot: bjnews.com.cn]

Debate on social media in China has been buzzing about the safety of roadside guard rails.

A video has been circulating, showing a pregnant woman with her head stuck in a guard rail between the sidewalk and the road in the city of Yulin this week.

The woman and her unborn child later died, despite desperate attempts by passers-by to get the woman free.

Police in the city say it appears the woman may have passed out and accidentally fallen into the guard railing, leading to her death.

While deemed accidental, debate has been raging on microblogs about the safety of the guard rails themselves, which are a staple in virtually every Chinese city to keep foot and vehicle traffic separated.

Questions about their safety are being asked, as two people in Beijing have died in similar incidents over the past 3-years.