Small plane appears to have hit Beijing's tallest building

A small aircraft apparently struck the tallest building in the Chinese capital, Beijing, on Friday afternoon (26), in a shocking accident in one of the most fortified cities in the world.

Dramatic images posted on social media showed debris falling from the 109-story CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, as well as the tail of the aircraft and the broken window of a taxi on the ground.

A CNN journalist witnessed people being evacuated from the skyscraper gathering in the streets near the entrance, along with fire trucks, police vehicles and an ambulance.

CNN contacted authorities seeking information about what happened.

Online images showing the plane's registration code appeared to indicate a domestically manufactured light sport aircraft - a Sunward SA 60L Aurora - belonging to a local general aviation company.

Unverified flight data from Flightradar24 published online appeared to indicate a flight path with a sharp deviation of the aircraft.

Since May 1, the Chinese capital has been virtually drone-free, due to comprehensive new rules. Residents are not allowed to buy, rent or fly drones without government authorization within the city's vast jurisdiction.

Source: CNN