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Footage circulated on Twitter shows the wreckage engulfed in flames and thick smoke. Several online accounts claimed that it was a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter plane that fell down in the city of Guilin in southern Chinese province Guangxi.
The military jet was claimed to have been shot down by Taiwan after it intruded into the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, according to the accounts.
An onlooker can be heard saying: 'A plane has fallen. A fighter jet.'
Another clip shows a man, believed to be the pilot, lying on a stretcher while being surrounded by residents. The pilot is said to have suffered severe injuries, according to the online accounts.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence issued a statement on Friday, denying that it had shot down a Chinese Su-35 fighter jet.
'The Air Force Command solemnly refutes that this is false information and completely untrue,' the notice read.
The statement continued: 'The Air Force Command pointed out that regarding people who intentionally create and spread untrue information online, [we] strongly condemn such malicious acts.
'The Air Force Command emphasised that in order to maintain airspace security, the headquarters will continue to closely monitor the conditions of the sea and airspace around the Taiwan Strait, and provide accurate information in a timely manner to prevent the spread of false information, and to avoid social unrest. We appeal citizens to rest assured.'
The Chinese authorities have yet to confirm the alleged incident.
Comment: This is a breaking story with China yet to comment so it remains to be seen what the true cause is but it is unlikely that Taiwan would shoot down the plane. What's more likely is that this is yet another plane crash amongst an increasing number these days: