Oxygen cylinder 'may have exploded' on Qantas jet

Australian investigators were exploring the possibility today that an oxygen cylinder could have exploded mid-flight on the Qantas jumbo jet from London that was forced to plunge 20,000 feet and make an emergency landing in the Philippines.

The Boeing 747-400 was cruising at 29,000 feet on Friday with 346 passengers aboard when it was shaken by what passengers described as an explosion. Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling as the plane descended rapidly and debris flew through the cabin from a hole that suddenly appeared in the floor.