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Small aircraft crashes into Beijings tallest skyscraper sending debris onto streets
Firefighters and medical helicopter respond after person struck by tram in Berlin
A small propeller aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper, the 528-metre CITIC Tower—also known as China Zun—on Friday afternoon, sending debris cascading down onto the busy streets below and prompting a large-scale emergency response in the Chinese capital’s central business district.
Video footage and photographs circulating on social media showed the aircraft’s impact point high on the 109-storey tower, with glass panels shattered and metal fragments falling toward the ground. Authorities cordoned off surrounding streets and evacuated nearby buildings, including the adjacent China Zun complex, according to multiple international outlets including CNN and the Financial Times . Witnesses reported seeing a missing glass panel on the tower’s upper floors, and emergency services were seen arriving at the scene with fire trucks and rescue units.
The CITIC Tower, headquarters of the state-owned CITIC Group, is Beijing’s tallest building and one of the tallest in the world. Normally, the area falls under strict no-fly restrictions, yet the aircraft—described as roughly the size of a car—managed to breach the zone undetected. Authorities have not yet confirmed the number of people on board or whether there were any casualties, and no official statement on the cause of the crash has been released. Local media reported that residents were prohibited from taking photographs or recording videos near the site.
International outlets including The New York Times and Reuters cited social media videos showing debris falling from the tower, with Reuters noting eyewitness accounts of the crash . European press such as Die Presse and Le Monde also confirmed the incident, with Le Monde reporting that the cause remains unclear and no official explanation has been issued by Chinese authorities .
The crash comes amid heightened scrutiny over aviation security in major urban centres. While Beijing enforces a no-fly zone over its central districts, the incident raises questions about enforcement and oversight. Emergency services remain on site, and investigations are ongoing to determine how the aircraft entered restricted airspace and what led to the collision.
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