Passengers on a Malaysian Airlines flight forced to land in Alice Springs have described their fear after the plane began rattling.

Flight MH122 from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur was close to the Western Australian coastline when it was forced to divert to Alice Springs on Thursday afternoon.

Malyasian Airlines said the plane had been forced to land in the Northern Territory for “technical reasons”.

A passenger, Maryna Delport Evetts, said engine problems had been blamed for the diversion.

“So just when you think this would never happen to you or it just happens in the movies, on our flight back home, four hours into the journey we had engine failure,” Evetts posted to Facebook.

“We turned back and we are now sitting at the Airport in Alice Springs. Not too sure when we will be leaving but hey ho, we are on terra firma.

“Not a good feeling 10,000 feet up in the air.”

Chris Kanani, the husband of a passenger, told the ABC his wife had described the experience as “hell”.

“She said she was on the loo when she started hearing loud banging noises from the righthand side of the plane and that’s when all it started,” Kanani said

“It was like hell, this flight, and they were told to be ready for an emergency landing.”

Another passenger told the ABC there had been “very violent shaking” during the flight and passengers had braced for a rough landing.

Malaysia Airlines said safety was its No 1 priority, and it would provide more information about the technical issue when it was available.