A small aircraft struck the tallest building in China's capital on Friday afternoon, in a dramatic incident that sent shockwaves through one of the world's most heavily secured cities, according to Antigua News Room.
Dramatic footage circulating on social media showed debris cascading from the 109-story CITIC Tower — also known as China Zun — along with what appeared to be the tail section of the aircraft and a shattered taxi window on the ground below.
A CNN journalist on the scene witnessed crowds of evacuees from the skyscraper gathering near the building's entrance, as firetrucks, police vehicles and an ambulance responded to the incident.
Online images of the aircraft's registration code appear to identify the plane as a Sunward SA 60L Aurora, a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft owned by a local general aviation company. Unverified flight data from Flightradar24, posted online, appeared to show a severely deviated flight path for the aircraft in the moments before impact.
Authorities have yet to release an official statement. CNN reported it had reached out to both officials and a number listed for the aircraft's owner.
The incident comes amid a sweeping aviation crackdown in Beijing. Since May 1, the Chinese capital has been effectively drone-free under new regulations prohibiting residents from buying, renting or flying drones without government approval anywhere within the city's sprawling jurisdiction.
This is a developing story.
