BEIJING (Reuters) - An aircraft that crashed in northeast China might have flown from North Korea, China's official Xinhua news agency said Wednesday, citing unnamed government authorities at the scene.
The aircraft came down in Liaoning province Tuesday, prompting reports by South Korea's Yonhap news agency and Chinese Internet speculation that it was a North Korean military aircraft flown by a pilot trying to flee the poor and isolated country.
"Based on an initial assessment at the scene, an aircraft that crashed in Chinese territory yesterday may be North Korean," said the Chinese-language report.
"Currently, the Chinese side is contacting the North Korean side about this matter," the brief report added.
The plane crashed into a hut near Fushun, a city in Liaoning, but no residents were killed or hurt, said Xinhua.
"The pilot died on the spot," said the report.
China is a neighbour and close supporter of North Korea, which depends on Beijing for food and energy aid.
If confirmed, the crash of a North Korean aircraft in Chinese territory could be a passing irritant between the two allied governments, but would be unlikely to spark wider contention.
Chinese government departments have not commented on the crash and an earlier Xinhua report merely said an aircraft of undetermined origin had crashed near Fushun.
(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ben Blanchard and Jonathan Thatcher)
