Qantas jet lands after part of engine falls off

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Plane explodes near Singapore: report
Tom Allard
November 4, 2010 - 1:23PM
A plane has exploded over Batam, Indonesia, en route to Singapore, according to Indonesian media reports and there are fears it may have been a Qantas jet.

The reports of the explosion, which occurred at 9.15am local time (1.15pm Australian time), are sketchy and the type of plane unconfirmed.

But local media are speculating that some of the debris was from a Qantas jet.

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Kompas reported on its website that it "was suspected that a Qantas plane exploded in the air near Batam".

"The big explosion happened near Hang Nadim airport," the report continued, adding the plane was heading to Singapore.

It provided no sourcing for the report.

An eyewitness, Hana, told Metro TV, that she saw a plane that was on fire overhead before hearing a loud explosion.

Parts of the plane have reportedly landed in heavily populated areas in Batam and near the airport, including near a shopping centre.

Batam, in the Riau Islands, is just south of Singapore.

Comment was being sought from local transport authorities and Qantas.

More to come