Small Plane Hits Beijing's Tallest Building

A small plane crashed into the tallest skyscraper in Beijing on Friday, but few details were immediately known about the cause of the crash or casualties. The light sport aircraft struck the top section of a building known as CITIC Tower, reports the South China Morning Post. Videos including this one, verified by the New York Times, showed debris falling onto the street as people fled for safety. The skyscraper is located in the city's central business district, and a CNN reporter said people were being evacuated from the building.

Authorities have not yet said whether there were any injuries, how many people were on board, or what led to the crash. Online photos showed the aircraft's registration as B-12PP, identified in flight-tracking records as a two-seat Sunward SA60L Aurora made by China's Starair Aircraft. One social media post linked the plane to a local firm offering pilot training and sightseeing flights, but calls to the company went unanswered. Police sealed off surrounding roads, ambulances gathered near the tower, and posts about the incident disappeared quickly from Chinese platforms. The crash comes weeks after Beijing imposed restrictions effectively barring casual low-altitude flights and most drone use over the capital.