Recently, a passenger window-smashing incident occurred at Caojiabao Airport in Xining, Qinghai. A female passenger reportedly fainted due to lack of oxygen as the shuttle bus she was on did not have the air conditioning on and the doors remained closed for an extended period, causing poor ventilation. In a desperate situation, a man used an emergency hammer to shatter the bus window for self-rescue.
According to several netizens’ videos, on the evening of July 11, passengers aboard flight MU2350 from Xining to Xi’an had to wait inside the shuttle bus for over 20 minutes because the first-class passengers had not arrived yet. During this time, the air conditioning was not turned on, and the driver kept the doors closed, trapping everyone inside. As a result, one passenger fainted due to oxygen depletion, prompting a male passenger to break the bus window with an emergency hammer to allow everyone to exit.
One passenger commenting in the video section mentioned, “I was also on the bus at that time, and the shuttle bus parked at the apron without opening the doors or turning on the air conditioning. With almost 100 people inside, the temperature rose, causing a lack of oxygen. I knocked on the driver’s window to request turning on the air conditioning, but he ignored me. When I knocked again, he got off the bus and left, and that’s when someone fainted.”
Another netizen expressed, “In high-altitude environments like this, lack of ventilation can easily lead to oxygen depletion, especially for those not accustomed to staying at high altitudes, making them more prone to dizziness.”
Video footage showed shattered glass on the ground, with a female passenger collapsing and a man holding her in his arms.
On the 13th, a passenger told Xinjing Bao “Our Video” that she had knocked on the driver’s partition twice to request turning on the air conditioning, but the driver ignored her and left the bus. Ultimately, the family members of the fainting passenger used a safety hammer to break the glass door and free themselves. After everyone disembarked and assisted in helping the fainted passenger, the flight was delayed for over ten minutes.
On the evening of the 13th, Qinghai Airport Limited Company issued a statement saying, “For safety reasons, we couldn’t open the doors.” The company stated that the shuttle bus driver had confirmed that the air conditioning was on, conducted a check to ensure the windows were open, and explained to the passengers at the door that the door could not be opened temporarily. An ambulance and medical personnel arrived to examine the fainting passenger, who was found to have normal vital signs during the initial check.
Official responses sparked skepticism among netizens. One wrote, “Everyone in the bus said the air conditioning was not on, but the driver claimed it was. Are all passengers lying? Isn’t this endangering lives?” Another commented, “I saw several videos where the driver turned off the engine, got off the bus, and neither the windows nor the air conditioning were on. It took someone fainting for the window to be broken and people to disembark.” Others questioned why the driver left with the doors closed for over 20 minutes if the air conditioning was on.
In a similar incident on July 2, a train traveling from Changsha to Shanghai derailed at Dongxiao Station in Jinhua, Zhejiang, resulting in a three-hour halt in operations. The train carriages lost power and water, leading to the air conditioning and ventilation systems shutting down. The interior temperature rose to 38 degrees Celsius without proper ventilation, causing discomfort among many passengers.
Passengers requested to open the doors for fresh air, but the train attendants insisted they couldn’t open them, citing higher instructions, which sparked dissatisfaction among passengers. A young male passenger used an emergency hammer to break a window for ventilation. Many passengers inside applauded him, calling him a “hero.” Subsequently, eyewitnesses revealed that the young man who broke the window was taken away by staff.
Officials stated that although the train interior was hot, it did not reach the emergency level requiring immediate opening of doors or breaking windows. Railway police criticized the window-breaking individual.
Following this, Chinese state media released three articles condemning the man, stating that “breaking windows is not a heroic act” and that “emotional outbursts have limits.” One commentator pointed out that the media’s response and criticism were not just about the railway system but also reflected political needs at higher levels, suggesting that such incidents could trigger political implications.
Some netizens commented, “If you dare to act bravely today, you may dare to take justice into your own hands tomorrow.” They expressed disdain for authorities’ reactions to citizens’ actions and highlighted a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the public.
Feel free to let me know if you need any more information!