For a brief moment the world held its breath today - fearing a repeat of the September 11 suicide attacks on New York and Washington had been launched on Milan, Italy’s financial capital.

A small plane with only the pilot aboard crashed into a Milan skyscraper today after sending a SOS.

Police officer Celerissimo De Simone said the pilot of an aircraft which crashed into a Milan skyscraper had sent out a distress call just before the crash near Milan’s main rail station.