Manila/Sydney - A Qantas Boeing 747 made an emergency landing in the Philippines capital Manila on Friday after a tear in the plane's undercarriage caused it to lose pressure. The plane, which was on its way from Hong Kong to Melbourne, diverted to Manila.
All 350 people aboard the plane were unharmed, but experienced dizziness and vomiting, according to Manila airport terminal manager Octavio Lina.
Speaking from Manila airport, June Kane from Melbourne said she heard a loud bang from underneath the plane and saw debris fly through the cabin.
"I'm looking at the plane now and on the left hand side, just forward of the wing, there's a gaping hole from the wing to the underbody," she told Australia's ABC Radio. "It's about two metres by four metres and there's baggage hanging out, so you assume that there's a few bags that may have gone missing."
Lina said the plane's "fuselage exploded in mid-air."
"There is a big hole in the belly of the aircraft near the right wing about three meters in diameter," he said.
Lina said the passengers were being checked by medical personnel before they are taken to nearby hotels to wait for their new flight.
