A light aircraft struck a high-rise in central Beijing on Friday, triggering evacuations and a large emergency response after crashing into the city's tallest skyscraper, while authorities launched an investigation into what caused the incident.
Video footage circulating online showed debris falling to the ground, while a hole was visible in the tower's glass facade. The skyscraper did not appear to have sustained significant structural damage.
Towering nearly 530 metres above ground, the CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, is one of the tallest buildings in the world and one of the landmarks of the Chinese capital. It is located next to the headquarters of China's state broadcaster, CCTV.
It was not immediately clear what had caused the incident on Friday evening and whether anyone was hurt in the crash. Chinese authorities have yet to comment and the incident has not been reported on by state media.
Some social media posts mentioning the crash were swiftly removed by the authorities.
