Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia CEO Norazman Mahmud said flight MH720 landed safely on KLIA’s Runway 32R at 6.17pm after the Boeing 737-800’s distress call was received at 6.02pm.

“We accommodated the aircraft by allowing it to land as soon as possible,” he told FMT.

Malaysia Airlines later confirmed that the flight initiated an emergency response to a cargo fire.

“Upon landing, the aircraft was directed to a remote bay, where all passengers and crew safely disembarked.

“Fire services and technical handlers were positioned at the aircraft to assess the situation thoroughly before proceeding to open the cargo doors,” the airline said.

On March 14, a Malaysia Airlines flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back after one of its engines reportedly caught fire.

No one was harmed in the incident as flight MH705 safely returned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.