No one was harmed in the incident as flight MH705 safely returned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, according to passengers on board.

X user @dasunhegoda said the engine had failed and caught fire after the plane took off from the airport, attaching a picture of flames flaring from the engine while the plane was in the air.

He thanked the pilots and cabin crew for ensuring the safety of the passengers, while the national carrier’s official X account responded: “We are relieved to hear that you are safe and truly appreciate your understanding during such a difficult situation.”

Malaysia Airlines reiterated that the safety and wellbeing of passengers was its utmost priority and expressed regret over the disruption to the travel plans of those on the flight.

FMT has reached out to Malaysia Aviation Group for further comment on the incident.

Facebook user Adely Kassim said he was on the flight and saw a “flicker of lights” but he did not realise the engine was on fire.

“The vibration felt was not normal though,” he said in a posting yesterday. “The flight has safely returned to the Manila airport.”

Separately, Filipino aviation news platform Aviation Updates Philippines posted a video of what appeared to be flames and smoke emitting from the left engine of the aircraft after the suspected bird strike.