BEIJING —A small aircraft reportedly crashed into the tallest building in China’s capital on Friday afternoon, in a shocking incident in one of the world’s most fortified cities.
The incident prompted a rapid police response, with roads around the 1,732 ft skyscraper closed and officers preventing passersby from filming the scene.
The 108-story CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, dominates Beijing’s central business district and serves as the headquarters for the state-owned conglomerate CITIC Group.
Dramatic footage from Beijing posted on social media showed debris falling from the building, as well as a tail section of the plane and a broken window of a taxicab on the ground.
A CNN journalist witnessed people evacuated from the skyscraper gathering on the streets near the entrance, along with firetrucks, police cars and an ambulance.
Online images showing the plane’s registration code seemed to point to a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft, a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, owned by a local general aviation company which offers services like pilot training, personal recreational flights and aerial photography.
Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 posted online appeared to show a severely deviated flight path for the aircraft.
Since May 1, the Chinese capital has been effectively drone-free under sweeping new rules. Residents are not allowed to buy, rent or fly drones without government approval within the city’s sprawling jurisdiction.
Source: Saudi Gazette