A Qantas A380 passenger jet has landed safely in Singapore after a "mechanical issue" caused part of the engine to fall to the ground.
Pilots on flight QF32, en-route to Sydney, were forced to turn off one of the Airbus A380's four engines but a spokeswoman for Qantas could not say why.
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The double-decker plane, carrying 433 passengers and 26 crew, landed safely at Changi Airport at 11.45am local time. All passengers and crew are safe.
"There's definitely been no crash," a Qantas spokeswoman said.
"We're just waiting on a report."
PHOTOS: 'It sounded like a bomb'
A photograph of the plane on the tarmac at Changi Airport shows the back half engine number two blown off.
READ MORE: Qantas grounds A380 take-offs
Witnesses reported hearing an explosion as the jet flew overhead.
Debris has fallen on the island of Batam, about 20km off Singapore's south coast, where parts of the plane have been found in an industrial area of the island.
Witnesses reported seeing "metal shards coming from the sky" while photographs obtained by Indonesian news agencies show debris with the Qantas logo lying on the ground.
"I didn't see a plane crash but I heard a loud explosion in the air. There were metal shards coming down from the sky into an industrial area in Batam," witness Noor Kanwa told AFP.
Other locals said they weren't sure whether the debris was from the wing or engine, but said some parts were up to 1m long.
"Before the parts started falling I heard a very loud explosion," witness Devi told the local Antara news agency.
"It sounded like a bomb."
Another witness described hearing a screeching sound before the explosion, and said Batam residents came out of their homes to observe the high-tech superjumbo circling as it used up its fuel before attempting to land.
"I was driving near a residential estate when suddenly I heard a thunderous braking sound," 35-year-old driver Ricky, 35, said.
"I thought it was an explosion but when I looked up I saw a plane going round and round and there was smoke coming out of its tail.
"Then three or four pieces of metal fell from the sky ... they fell into a field," he added.
"Dozens of residents rushed out of their homes to see what was going on. They looked excited. In Batam it's common to see planes taking off from Singapore and flying over us. But we didn't expect to see something like this."
Batam police officer Bobby Baharudin said debris was "scattered over Batam".
"Most of it fell in residential areas. There's a part that looks like a door and shards of aluminum," he said.
Six fire engines immediately surrounded the aircraft as soon as it landed on the tarmac, spraying it with brown liquid.
"I can see smoke coming out of it," an AFP reporter said.
"One of the engines on the left wing looks blown off. It is black and has jagged edges."
Police Col Eka Yudha was quoted on Indonesia's TVOne as saying the plane, capable of carrying up to 500 passengers, began dumping fuel before attempting an emergency landing.
The incident is the first mid-air emergency involving the giant, double-decker Airbus plane which made its first commercial flight operated by Singapore Airlines on the same Singapore-Sydney route in October 2007.
Since then, fuel and computer glitches have grounded several A380s and at least one Air France flight was forced to turn around and land in New York after problems with its navigation system in November 2009.
Anyone concerned for the welfare of family or friends on board Qantas flight 32 from Singapore to Sydney are advised to try to contact them directly.
DFAT has also set up a hotline on 1300 555 135.
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