It was the most serious mid-air incident involving an A380 since the twin-deck plane went into service in 2007.
Passengers reported debris and flames shooting from the engine compartment and the plane appeared to have wing damage, according to the wire service.
The plane was en route to Sydney, Australia from Singapore.
The A380 has a substantial amount of cargo space, although less than the Boeing 747 because of baggage compartments to accommodate the large number of passengers.