DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (NBC NEWS) - - An Emirates jet burned and later exploded on the runway at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday after what the airline described as an "accident."
"The fire began to spread rapidly and by the time the fire engines got there the entire top half of the plane was on fire," NBC News Digital chief technology officer Krishna Bhagavathula said while in a terminal overlooking the scene of the crash landing.
He added that flames "seemed to be coming from the rear or back of the plane" which the airline confirmed was carrying 300 people.
Bhagavathula said the blaze was "under control within 15 to 20 minutes." He saw at least three fire engines at the scene.
"I didn't see anyone evacuated, they must have been on the other side of the smoke," Bhagavathula said. "The entire top half of the plane is gone."
Eyewitness Osama Alghamdi, a 23-year-old student, told NBC News that he saw a "huge, huge fire" and then "two explosions" while heading to his gate for a flight to Glasgow, Scotland.
"Everything took about 30 to 35 minutes," he added. "It was so scary."
Despite the dramatic images and video posted on social media, authorities said no injuries were immediately reported.
Emirates confirmed that Flight EK521 from Thiruvananthapuram, India, to Dubai has been "involved in an accident" at the airport at around 12:45 p.m. local time (4:45 a.m. ET). It said that 282 passengers and 18 crew members were aboard.
The airline added: "Our main priority is now the safety and well-being of all involved."
Emirates said none of its employees had been injured.
Tracking websites identified the jet as a Boeing 777-300 that was delivered to the airline in 2003.
The Aviation Herald reported that air traffic control recordings showed its pilots made a normal approach to runway 12L and no emergency was declared prior to landing.
Dubai's government said in a tweet posted at 5:31 a.m. ET that "all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries have been reported so far."
Bhagavathula, who was making a connection while travelling from Seattle to the South African city of Johannesburg, said fire trucks did not reach the burning craft for "five or six minutes."
He added: "I would have thought in an airport situation the trucks would have been there in a minute … maybe it just took time."
