Two passengers lock a crying child in an airplane bathroom during a flight

Two strangers locked a little girl in an airplane bathroom because she wouldn't stop crying.

According CNNThe shocking incident occurred on a Juneyao Airlines flight from the southwestern city of Guiyang to Shanghai on August 24. The video, which went viral on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, captured two strangers refusing to let a little girl out of the bathroom if she didn't stop crying.

Although the clip has since been removed from the platform, one of the unknown individuals, a woman, allegedly told the girl: “We won't let you out unless you stop crying.”

Once the girl finally calmed down, the woman filming the video picked her up and said, “If you make noise again, we'll be back.” [to the bathroom].”

According to a statement by Juneyao Airlines on Weibo (the Chinese version of X), the girl was traveling with her grandmother, who allowed the two strangers to take her to the bathroom and “educate” her. She stood by the bathroom door while the strangers told the girl that they would keep her in the bathroom until she calmed down.

The video, which was also shared on Weibo, sparked a backlash, with many taking issue with the treatment meted out to the girl by the strangers. Commenters on Weibo were merciless, reportedly calling the strangers’ actions “cold-blooded” and “inappropriate.”

As the backlash intensified in the following days, the airline's customer service department eventually issued a public apology for the incident, excusing it as “crew carelessness,” according to the state-run publication Diary of the southern metropolisThe company also added that it condemned the conduct of the two passengers.

The company has since said it has “launched an internal investigation” and added that it has also contacted the girl's parents to “inquire into the situation and verify the facts in order to reestablish the truth of the matter.”

One of the women featured in the video has since defended herself online, saying on Weibo that she had good intentions and was trying to ensure a “smooth flight” for the rest of the passengers on board.

However, internet users were not receptive to her excuses, with many calling her a heartless stalker. The reaction to her video was so intense that she eventually deleted it.

“Adults in their 30s can have emotional meltdowns, but people don’t allow little kids to have them,” wrote one user on Weibo.

Another added: “We were all children once… Don’t be a cold-blooded adult.”

This is not the first time that children's behaviour on planes has sparked debate on Chinese social media, with the topic reportedly trending regularly.