A Qantas Boeing 747 flying to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila on Friday after a dramatic mid-air rupture that left a "gaping hole" in its fuselage, officials said.

Plane with 2-m hole on air - 25 / 07 / 2008 11:42

Stunned passengers reported how the jumbo, which originated in London and made a stop in Hokng Kong, plunged 20,000 feet (6,000) metres in an "absolutely terrifying" ordeal.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the plane, carrying 346 passengers and 19 crew, diverted to Manila where it was now undergoing inspection on the ground.

"There was a terrific boom, and bits of wood and debris just flew forward into first (class) and the oxygen masks dropped down," June Kane, a passenger from Melbourne, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"We were told that one of the rear doors, a hole had blown into it, but I've since looked at the plane and there's a gigantic gaping hole in the plane.

"It was absolutely terrifying, but I have to say everyone was very calm," she added, speaking from the Philippine capital.

Qantas chief executive officer Geoff Dixon said initial inspections showed the aircraft had sustained a hole in its fuselage, and it was currently being inspected by engineers.

He said the flight crew performed emergency procedures after oxygen masks were deployed and there were no reports of any injuries.

Manila airport operations office Ding Lima said the aircraft lost cabin pressure shortly after leaving Hong Kong bound for Melbourne.

"The captain of the aircraft immediately called the (Manila) control tower for an immediate landing," Lima told local radio.

Pilot Captain John Francis Bartels (right) looks at the hole of Melbourne bound Qantas Airways Boeing 747 after it made an emergency landing at the in Manila

Workers and security personnel stand next to the hole

AFP