MANILA, Philippines (AP): The 346 passengers were cruising at 29,000 feet Friday when a loud bang shook the Qantas jet. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling and debris blew through the cabin as a hole suddenly appeared in the floor.

It wasn't until they were safely on the ground after an emergency landing that those on board realized how lucky they had been: The hole was the size of a small car, went completely through the fuselage and caused what the pilot called ``explosive decompression.''

There were no injuries, said Octavio Lina, Manila International Airport Authority deputy manager for operations, but some passengers vomited after disembarking the Boeing 747-400, which had a hole on the right side near the wing nearly three yards (meters) wide.

The cabin's floor gave way, Lina said, exposing some of the cargo beneath.

The airport authority, quoting pilot John Francis Bartels, said the plane suffered an ``explosive decompression.''

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a statement that ``the crew were forced to conduct an emergency descent after a section of the fuselage separated and resulted in a rapid decompression of the cabin.''

The aircraft then descended to 10,000 feet ``in accordance with established procedures,'' landed safely, and taxied to the terminal unassisted.