A plane carrying 241 people has caught fire as it made an emergency landing at Singapore’s Changi Airport.

Passenger on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ368 from Changi Airport to Milan said they clapped as the jet made what appeared to be a smooth emergency landing. But seconds later, the right engine and wing were ablaze, with flames engulfing the right side of the jet.

No one was injured aboard the Boeing 777-300ER but the 222 passengers and 19 crew had to wait on board for several agonising minutes while emergency services sped over to the plane and doused it with water and foam.

The plane was about two hours into the flight when it turned back, touching down at 6:50am.

In a statement, Singapore Airlines said the plane’s right engine caught fire following an engine oil warning message.

"When the aircraft landed at Changi Airport Runway 2, the engine caught fire but it was extinguished within minutes by the Airport Emergency Service team which was already on standby" Changi Airport said on its Facebook Page.

(With inputs from The Guardian)