Beijing —
A shocking incident occurred in one of the world’s most fortified cities on Friday afternoon, when a small plane appeared to crash into the tallest building in the Chinese capital.
Dramatic footage from Beijing posted on social media showed debris falling from the 109-storey CITIC Tower, also known as Chinazun, as well as part of the back of a plane and the broken window of a taxi on the ground.
A CNN reporter saw people evacuated from the high-rise building gathered on the street near the entrance, along with fire engines, police cars and ambulances.
CNN has contacted authorities and the number listed for the aircraft’s owner for information about the incident.
An online image showing the plane’s registration code appears to show a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, a domestically produced light sport aircraft owned by a local general aviation company.
Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 posted online appeared to show the aircraft’s flight path deviating significantly.
Since May 1, drones have been effectively banned in the Chinese capital under sweeping new rules. Within the city’s vast jurisdiction, residents are not allowed to buy, rent or fly drones without government approval.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
