Thai crash NI 'miracle' survivor

Ashley Harrow managed to escape from the wreckage of the crash

A County Down man who survived a plane crash in Thailand in which 89 people died has said it was a miracle he was not killed or seriously injured.

Ashley Harrow, from Moira, said the aircraft burst into flames shortly after crashing at Phuket airport.

"The front end of the plane was just a giant fire ball," the 27-year-old said.

Two other men from Londonderry were also on board. Aaron Toland, 22, died in the crash. His friend Christopher Cooley is being treated in hospital.

The body Mr Toland will arrive back in Ireland on Friday.

His remains will be flown into Dublin before being transported to Derry. Final funeral arrangements will be announced later.

Mr Harrow described how he and another passenger, Peter James Hill, 35, from Manchester struggled to escape from an emergency exit.

"I took my seatbelt off, looked across and seen Peter trying to open the door," he said.

"I grabbed the top lever and gave it a really hard pull and it just half opened.

Disbelief

"Peter got out and I gave it another good tug and that was it the door came out I jumped out onto the wing and away from the plane.

"I just couldn't take what was happening in. After I got out and looked back, I couldn't believe I was on that plane and actually got out of it.

"I was still walking and was actually ok, I'm not burnt or cut anywhere."

The Irish Consul in Bangkok, Helene Fallon Wood, has visited Mr Cooley in hospital. She said his condition had improved considerably since Monday.

"I explained to him that some of his family were on the way and he's very delighted that he'll be able to see them," she said.

Members of both the Cooley and Toland families have now arrived in Phuket.

The two friends had been on their way to Australia, where they intended to stay for a year.

Air crash investigators are now trying to establish whether pilot error caused the weekend crash.

There were 123 passengers and seven crew on board the flight from Bangkok when it crashed on landing in poor weather at Phuket airport on Sunday.

Eight of the survivors are thought to be British.

There were four Irish people on board the plane. Three are being treated for their injuries and one is still missing.