SINGAPORE - A Singapore Airlines (SIA) cargo plane from Singapore to Shanghai was diverted to Hong Kong on Friday night after a fire broke out in the cabin.

Flight SQ7858 had to make an emergency landing at the Hong Kong International Airport at about 10.20pm, two hours before it was scheduled to land in Shanghai, according to a report by Hong Kong media outlet HK01.

Two crew members were on board, and eight ambulances had been dispatched to the runway to assist with the incident.

The north runway of the airport was temporarily closed, according to a report by broadcasting company TVB.

According to flight tracking site FlightRadar24, the plane - a Boeing 747 - left Singapore at around 7.30pm on Friday night, and was to arrive in Shanghai at about 12.20am (Shanghai local time) on Saturday.

At least three aviation spotters on Twitter said the plane had squawked 7700, generally known as the code for an emergency of any kind.

The Straits Times has contacted Singapore Airlines for comment.