SINGAPORE — For passengers onboard Singapore Airlines Flight SQ368, what started as an uneventful trip from Changi Airport to Milan ended in a horrifying burst of flames following an emergency landing on Monday.
According to BBC News, the aircraft departed at 02:05 local time on Monday before encountering engine trouble two hours into the flight. The pilot turned back the plane and landed safely when suddenly the right engine of the Boeing 777 caught fire.
No one was injured although all 222 passengers and 19 crew had to wait onboard for several agonizing minutes until emergency services arrived to douse the right side of the jet. It took firefighters approximately 10 minutes to extinguish the flames. Everyone onboard was then safely evacuated.
One passenger named Chuan told the BBC that “we were in the air for roughly an hour before we began to smell gas” and that everyone onboard remained calm during the ordeal.
In a statement, as reported by The Guardian, Singapore Airlines said the plane’s right engine caught fire following an engine oil warning message.
“Passengers disembarked through stairs and were transported to the terminal building by bus. Passengers will be transferred to another aircraft which is expected to depart for Milan later today,” the airline said.
Videos and photos taken by passengers have since been uploaded to social media.