Small Aircraft Appears to Strike Beijing's Tallest Skyscraper

A small aircraft appeared to have struck the tallest building in the Chinese capital on Friday afternoon, according to CNN, in a startling incident in one of the world's most tightly secured cities.

Citing footage circulating on social media, CNN reported that debris could be seen falling from the 109-storey CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun. The videos also appeared to show the aircraft's tail section on the ground alongside a taxicab with a shattered window.

A CNN journalist at the scene reported seeing people evacuated from the skyscraper gathering near the building's entrance, while fire engines, police vehicles and an ambulance were deployed to the area.

Chinese authorities have not yet publicly commented on the incident. CNN said it had reached out to officials for information.

According to CNN, images circulating online showing the aircraft's registration code appeared to identify it as a domestically manufactured Sunward SA 60L Aurora light sport aircraft owned by a local general aviation company.

CNN also reported that unverified flight data from Flightradar24, shared online, appeared to indicate the aircraft had deviated significantly from its expected flight path before the apparent collision.

The reported incident comes weeks after Beijing introduced sweeping restrictions on drone operations. Since May 1, residents have been prohibited from buying, renting or flying drones anywhere within the capital's jurisdiction without prior government approval.