A toddler cried non-stop during a flight. Two strangers locked her in the bathroom

The story went viral this week after one of the two women involved shared a video on Chinese social media showing them inside a locked restroom with the weeping girl, who appeared to be about a year old.

"We won't let you out unless you stop crying," a lady sitting on the toilet informed the toddler as she struggled out of the adult's lap and grabbed for the door, according to a video shared on Douyin, China's equivalent of TikTok.

When the girl stopped weeping, the woman taking the video grabbed her and told her, "If you make any noise again, we'll come back (to the bathroom)."

The incident occurred August 24 aboard a Juneyao Airlines flight from the southern city of Guiyang to Shanghai.

The toddler, who was flying with her grandparents, wailed nonstop for about three hours, according to an airline statement released Monday.

The two passengers brought the youngster to the restroom to "educate her" with her grandmother's permission, according to the statement.

But a day later, as criticism grew, the airline's customer service department apologized for the incident and "oversight of the crew," and denounced the two customers' actions, according to the state-run Southern Metropolis Daily.

One of the women who shared the video online stated that her goal was to ensure a "restful flight" for the other passengers.

However, her tweet sparked a reaction, with many social media users criticizing her of being cruel and bullying the child.

The video was eventually erased. "Adults in their 30s can have emotional breakdowns, but people don't allow toddlers to have theirs," read one comment on China's X-like Weibo platform, which received hundreds of likes.

"All of us were once children..." "Don't be a cold-blooded adult," said another popular commenter. Many others expressed fear that the incident could harm the child's mental health.

Multiple Chinese official media sites have also joined in, criticizing the two ladies of "inappropriate" behavior and urging the public to show "greater understanding" of young children who are unable to manage their emotions.

In recent years, complaints of small children weeping or acting out on flights and trains have frequently trended on Chinese social media, with many accusing parents of failing to manage their children's behavior.

These episodes have sparked an ongoing debate about parenting in public areas in China, where the government is desperately attempting to push families to have children.