A pilot was killed and 13 other people were injured after a small aircraft crashed into a high-rise building in Beijing on Friday evening, Chinese authorities said.
According to officials in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, the two-seat light sport aircraft struck the building at around 5:55 pm (local time), causing multiple casualties.
Authorities did not disclose the identity of the pilot or the name of the building involved in the incident.
However, flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported that the aircraft crashed into the 108-storey CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, one of Beijing’s most iconic skyscrapers and the tallest building in the Chinese capital.
The tower, which stands 1,700 feet tall, is located in Beijing’s central business district east of one of the city’s major ring roads.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The incident has raised questions in a city that maintains strict controls over its airspace, including recent restrictions on drone operations.
Authorities said, "An investigation into the crash is underway.”
