ABCNEWS.com : Plane Slams Into Milan Skyscraper The Pirelli Building in Milan, Italy, was hit by a small plane. (ABCNEWS.com) 8212; A small plane crashed into a skyscraper in downtown Milan today, setting several floors of the 32-story building on fire. At least two people are dead, including the pilot, Italy's ANSA wire service said. The plane crashed into the 25th floor of the Pirelli building in downtown Milan. The weather was clear at the time of the crash. Italian TV reported the bottom floors of the building had been evacuated, and that many people were injured. The Associated Press reported only the pilot was on board. The plane was destined for Italy's capital Rome, but there were conflicting reports as to whether it had come from Locarno, Switzerland or Sofia, Bulgaria. Smoke poured from the opening as police and ambulances rushed to the area. The fire devastated two floors of the building, but is now under control, reported ABCNEWS' Rome bureau. There were initial fears that the crash could have been a terrorist attack, but local officials now say it was probably an accident. A transport official told Reuters the plane had reported problems with its undercarriage and was circling the city ahead of trying to land at a local airport. Police officer Celerissimo De Simone told The AP the pilot of the Piper aircraft had sent out a distress call at 5:50 p.m. just before crashing. Italian TV said the pilot SOS involved a technical problem.The crash happened during rush hour, as office workers were ending their day. A small tourist plane crashed into the tallest building in Milan. (ABCNEWS.com/Magellan Geographix) The Pirelli building houses the administrative offices of the local Lombardy region and sits next to the city's central train station. It is one of the world's tallest concrete buildings, and one of the main symbols of Milan. At his lunchtime press briefing today, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters: "The president just moments ago was informed about the incident in Milan. I have no additional information at all for you at this time. This is a breaking story and we don't have anything else beyond that 8212; the president has been informed." "I think you can presume that we will be 8212; if we are not already 8212; in touch with Italian authorities and will ascertain precisely what the facts are," he said. The world has been on edge about airplane crashes into buildings since the Sept. 11 terror attacks. On Jan. 5, a 15-year-old boy crashed a stolen plane into a building in Tampa, Fla. He was the only casualty. April 18 8212; The 32-story Pirelli Building, struck today by a small airplane, is Milan's tallest building, and is one of the world's highest concrete skyscrapers. Built in the 1950s, the office building stands 32 stories tall, or about 417 feet, according to the Web site, SkyScraperPage.com. By comparison, New York's Empire State Building is 102 stories, or 1,455 feet. Centrally located near the city's train station, the Pirelli Building was designed by the architect Gio Ponti, and one of Italy's most important 20th-century structural engineers, Pier Luigi Nervi (1891-1979), known for his use of reinforced concrete. Copyright 2002 ABCNEWS Internet Ventures.