A Qantas Boeing 747 flying from London to Melbourne has made an emergency landing in Manila after a 'gaping hole' appeared in its fuselage.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the plane had been flying at almost 9,000m (29,000ft) when the crew were forced into an emergency descent after a section of the fuselage separated and resulted in rapid decompression of the cabin.
The flight crew performed emergency procedures after oxygen masks were deployed and there were no reports of any injuries.
The crew descended the aircraft to 3,000m (10,000ft) and diverted the plane safely to Manila.
Stunned passengers reported how the jumbo jet, which had taken off from London and stopped in Hong Kong, plunged 6,000m in what one said was an 'absolutely terrifying' ordeal.
An urgent investigation is under way into what punched a hole of about 3m in diameter into the fuselage near the right wing.
A Qantas spokesperson said the plane, carrying 346 passengers and 19 crew, is undergoing an inspection on the ground in Manila, where luggage could be clearly seen jutting out of the hole.
