Police and emergency crews rushed to Beijing's tallest skyscraper on Friday after a small aircraft crashed into the building.

Images from the scene showed a large hole in the upper floors of the 528-metre CITIC Tower, while witnesses reported seeing aircraft debris at the base of the building.

Fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles surrounded the area as authorities cordoned off nearby streets and urged people not to stop or film.

Social media footage appeared to show smoke rising from the tower and firefighters tackling the blaze, although the authenticity of some videos could not be independently verified.

Chinese authorities had not issued an official statement by the time of publication, and the cause of the incident remains unclear.