Published June 27th, 2026 - 11:59 GMT
ALBAWABA - A plane crashed into Beijing’s CITIC 528-meter tower on Friday, leaving the pilot dead and 13 other injured on the scene, according to the Chinese authorities who declined to elaborate further on the incident.Authorities in the capital's Chaoyang District said in a statement shared on WeChat that "a single-engine, two-seat light aircraft crashed into a high-rise building" at 5:55 pm (0955 GMT) on Friday."The only person on board was the pilot, who died, and 13 people were injured at the scene," said the statement, the first official comment about the incident, adding that they were: “conducting further investigation into the incident”.Videos show the authority arriving hastily on the scene with fire trucks seen blasting water on the fires from the crash - along with ambulances and police.A student told AFP that he rushed to the scene as soon as he saw the crash on local social media, adding that the Chinese government was quickly deleting all posts and photos regarding the incident.北京最高楼“中国尊”6月26日傍晚怀疑遭到一架小型飞机撞击，伤亡情况未明。网上流传片段显示，108层高的大楼出现一个明显窟窿，檐篷冒烟起火。路透社引述目击者称，事发时听见了巨响。中国官方尚未证实事件，但目击者称警察封锁北京朝阳区中央商贸区周边部分道路，又阻止路人拍照。 pic.twitter.com/MLENVYmHJk— BBC News 中文 (@bbcchinese) June 26, 2026 China imposes strict restrictions on its airspace, especially over Beijing’s urban center, recently banning the sale of drones in the capital and requiring users to apply for a permit to fly in the capital.The incident received no coverage on Chinese news outlets; fueling suspicions of possible foul play or security breach - while the story is still developing; the Chinese government will do their utmost not to release any new details to the public.
