Three Irish women lucky to escape fatal Thai plane crash

THREE Irish women last night told how they climbed through mangled wreckage suffering only cuts and bruises after the plane they were on crashed in Thailand.

The friends, who had been travelling around south-east Asia, were among 68 passengers, two cabin crew and two pilots on board as the jet slid on landing and smashed into a disused control tower.

The pilot of the Bangkok Airways ATR72 flight died in the accident on a rain-soaked runway in the holiday resort of Koh Samui.

Aoife Creamer, 25, a teacher from Rush, Co Dublin, said: “We were in the 10th row, about six rows back from where it came in through our side of the plane, the left-hand side.

“The tower was basically inside the plane so I don’t know how anybody who was sitting in those front rows was alive. We don’t even know if they are.

“We were afraid it was going to go on fire. It was mental. Everyone was pushing then and we were just trying to get people off.”

The teacher at St Brendan’s Primary School, Loughshinny, suffered bruising while her sister Orlagh, 20, a student from Swords, hurt a knee and their friend Lesley Dowdall, 23, from Swords, sprained a wrist.

Ms Creamer said: “We just can’t get home quick enough at this stage.”