Eyewitnesses: Aircraft Debris Detected Near Skyscraper in Chinese Capital

SadaNews - A witness reported seeing aircraft debris and flames at the base of the tallest skyscraper in Beijing on Friday evening, while journalists from Agence France-Presse observed a gap in one of its sides.

Video footage taken by the witness from a nearby building showed fire trucks spraying water on flames on the ground in front of the 528-meter tall "CITIC" tower, while debris resembling part of a small plane was on the ground next to the building.

Reporters from Agence France-Presse also saw a hole in a window many floors up, while police and ambulances spread throughout the area. The police declined to comment on the incident.

The witness told Agence France-Presse, speaking on the condition of anonymity: "I don’t know why a plane would fly here. It’s really very strange."

A man who works inside the skyscraper stated: "I saw debris on my way outside. It looked like a part of an aircraft."

A woman told Agence France-Presse that she was instructed to evacuate the building via the stairs and not to use the elevators. She added: "I hurried down dozens of floors."

A woman who was looking at the building expressed her shock. She said: "Things like this shouldn’t happen in Beijing... it’s very common abroad, but it shouldn’t happen in China."

Another witness said he rushed to the scene as soon as information about the crash circulated on social media, noting that it was being deleted quickly.

The "CITIC" tower consists of 108 floors above ground and 7 below, housing around 12,000 employees. China enforces strict restrictions on its airspace, especially over urban areas in Beijing.

In April, China announced it would ban the sale of drones in Beijing and require users to apply for permission for every flight in the capital.