A China Eastern Airlines plane was forced to turn back to Sydney airport after an in-flight problem left a gaping hole in the engine casing.

Flight MU736 was heading from Sydney, Australia to Shanghai, but the pilot reported problems with the engine about one hour after taking off.

Passengers, who had to spend the night in Sydney, told media they smelt something burning inside the aircraft.

The Airbus A330 landed safely and there were no reports of injuries.

Images circulating on social media showed a large hole in the engine casing.

Several passengers said they had heard a loud sound coming from the left engine shortly after take-off.

BBC