A small aircraft struck Beijing’s CITIC Tower on Friday, prompting evacuations from the 1,732-foot skyscraper in the city’s central business district.
The aircraft was identified by the South China Morning Post as a Sunward SA60L Aurora, a two-seat, single-engine light sport aircraft. The aircraft hit the upper floors of the tower, also known as China Zun, scattering debris near the building. Images of the registration code appeared to match an aircraft owned by a local general aviation company, although image authenticity has not yet been verified. Emergency crews, police and ambulances were seen near the tower following the incident, and roads around the area were cordoned off.
“I ran out without my ID card or bag,” a woman surnamed Lin told the South China Morning Post.
A bystander near the building said he heard the crash at about 6 p.m. local time. Authorities had not released information on possible casualties, the number of people on board or the cause of the accident as of Friday evening.
Beijing requires approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force for light sport aircraft operations.
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