(NewsNation) — A viral video showing two people locking a crying toddler in an airplane bathroom while on a trip from southwestern China to Shanghai has gotten some on social media outraged.
The video, taken earlier this month and seen on Chinese social media, shows the people in the bathroom with the child.
Sixth Tone, a Chinese state-run media outlet that publishes in English, reported that one of the women in the clip can be heard telling the little girl, “If you make any noise again, we will leave you here alone.”
On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, the woman who took the video said before the incident that many passengers were using tissues to block their ears from the crying.
“Some had moved to the back of the plane to escape the noise,” the woman wrote.
Still, the post sparked widespread condemnation, with many telling the owner of the video she was heartless and lacking in empathy, according to Sixth Tone. Some people even said they would report her to the police.
“People in their thirties can have emotional breakdowns, but children over 1 year old are not allowed to have emotional breakdowns?” one person asked.
Another said that it is “normal” for a child to cry when uncomfortable on the plane.
The Guizhou Airport Public Security Bureau declined to charge the two women involved with any offense, saying the child’s grandparents gave their consent to both of them, Sixth Tone wrote. A statement from Juneyao Air said the girl’s grandmother waited outside while the women talked to her.
Juneyao said in a later statement, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily, that it apologizes for what happened and for the “oversight of the crew.” The airline noted that having multiple people in the bathroom is prohibited.