We Were No Heroes, Says Briton in Thai Plane Crash

Eight Britons are believed to have died in the Phuket air crash, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, said yesterday. A further three Britons remain in hospital, one of them in a critical condition, he added.

One of those who escaped from the burning jet was Ashley Harrow, 27, an engineer from Belfast. Lying in hospital, he said he was at best a "reluctant hero" for his role in opening passenger doors moments after the crash on Sunday.

He was sitting next to the emergency exit on the budget One-Two-Go flight from Bangkok which crashed as it attempted to land, erupting into a fireball which killed 89 people. It was Thailand's worst air disaster for a decade, raising fears that it would dent the country's tourist economy, especially in Phuket, where the 12-year-old McDonnell-Douglas 82 jet smashed into the airport runway.

Mr Harrow peeled open the door, which had been first breached by his co-passenger Peter Hill, and fled from the flames, but said neither of them deserved any credit for rescuing other passengers.

"Peter jumped and I followed him out on the wing. There was smoke and I could feel the flames. There was a fireball. To be honest we just started running and kept on going," Mr Harrow said.

"I only turned round later and just saw this black cloud pouring out of the plane. I expected to see dozens of people coming out. But there was no one."

Mr Harrow said he collapsed in pain amid chaos and billowing smoke, coming to in hospital, where doctors told him he had fractured his back.

Asleep when the plane started its deadly descent, he was jolted awake after being thrown forward by the impact. He is expected to stay in hospital for a week.

"To be honest Peter and I are both pretty embarrassed by all this hero stuff. We opened the door, that's all. [When we crashed] it was just madness. I thought I just want out of this. It was just a fluke Peter and I were next to the emergency exit."

Mr Hill, 35, a teacher from Manchester who has been praised by Thailand's prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, for his assumed heroism, yesterday posted a sign outside his hospital room saying he would not be giving any interviews.

"He does not want any of this hero stuff," said Mr Harrow. "Neither do I. I just want to make the full moon beach party next week and finish my holiday."

According to Thai authorities the third UK survivor receiving hospital treatment is Bethan Jones, 22, from Porth, south Wales. She has been flown to a Bangkok hospital and is in a critical condition.

She had been traveling around the world with her boyfriend, Alex Collins, 22, from Maesteg, south Wales, who is believed to be among the dead. He graduated from university with a degree in English literature last year.

Last night a Cardiff University friend said: "They were like two peas in a pod - real soul mates. Both Alex and Beth had a great sense of humor and loved life. They had been planning this round-the-world trip for ages."

Four of the missing are from Scunthorpe, Lincoln shire. Neil and Helen Slater, Steve Saunby and Susan Howell were all on the plane's passenger list.

Briton Colin Denny is also believed to be among the dead, as are Bristol grandparents Judy and Anthony Weston, both in their 60s, who were in Thailand for a holiday before emigrating to Australia for their retirement.

The overall death toll stands at 89 - the victims came from at least 10 countries, including the US, Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Sweden and Thailand.

Forty people needed hospital care. The medical costs are being met by the airline, which says it has $300m (£150m) of insurance cover.

At a press conference organized by the airline, the police officer leading the investigation, Niti Buntuwong, said that about 70 bodies had been identified.

One early theory for the cause of the crash appeared to be freak weather, including a sudden monsoon downpour and strong winds.

A Thai government official yesterday admitted half of the systems to detect potentially dangerous wind shear were not working at the time of the crash.

The chairman of One-Two-Go has defended the dead pilot, whom some thought foolish to land in hard, driving rain rather than divert to another airfield. He "was one of our best. He was very experienced, patient and very decisive", said Kajit Hapananont.