Teacher scarred in garage blast ‘hates her face so much’ she dreads leaving home

A teacher scarred for life by a filling station blast now dreads leaving the house because she “hates her face” so much.

The explosion blew Zoe Eleftheriou, 22, and a friend off a moped as they rode past the unlicensed garage in Cambodia.

Both were horrifically burned by the inferno that erupted as a tanker delivered liquid petroleum gas, killing one victim and seriously injuring another 12.

Zoe, speaking for the first time since her ordeal two months ago, said that as she staggered around the blast site it felt like “walking in flames”.

She underwent 19 skin ops after being left with burns to nearly 40 per cent of her body, including her face, and is now back at her family’s home in Britain.

“When I look at myself I don’t think I’m attractive,” she said. “I hope I can get back to my original self.”

Zoe said she has to spend two hours moisturising her skin every night before bed and again when she wakes up, to stop it drying out.

And she told the Sunday People how she feels “upset” by people’s reaction to her when she summons up courage to go out. “I couldn’t walk down the aisles in Asda with the continuous staring,” she said. “I’d probably cry.

“But I can’t hide in the house for ever and I try to be positive. Recently I went to the cinema and out for a meal and a few people stared. I understand why and I have to start getting used to it.”

Zoe had a job teaching kids aged three to 11 before the August 14 explosion as she drove through the resort of Siem Reap with her American friend and colleague Abbey Alexander, 18.

She recalled: “We were riding back to classes from my house when I saw what I thought was smoke – but which we now know was gas,” she recalled.

“It went boom and I came off the bike then ran away – but Abbey was rolling around on the ground screaming, ‘I’m on fire’. It was horrendous.

“Then I felt like I was on fire too, like I was walking in flames. I knew my top layer of skin was coming off but Abbey’s skin was dripping off her arm.

“I was trying to calm her down as I thought she was going into shock.” Zoe was flown to neighbouring Thailand’s capital Bangkok, where she had 18 operations in 19 days.

She was wrapped in bandages, as doctors removed dead skin in lancing procedures to prevent infection, and was unable to open her eyes.

Her mother Mary flew out to be by her side. She brought her traumatised daughter back to the family home in Rochester, Kent, on September 5.

The following day Zoe had a three-hour skin graft op in the special burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex. It involved work on her left leg and both hands.

Zoe, whose lashes and brows burned off, still visits weekly as an outpatient.

Seven specialist doctors have given her a range of treatments, including for her eyes and infections.

And they have warned her to ensure that she protects herself from the sun for the rest of her life.

One fortunate aspect for Zoe is that her medical bills of £215,000 were covered by a £350 travel insurance policy.

Abbey faces a similar treatment bill – but had no cover. She was paid only £10,000 by the LPG station boss. Zoe is still battling for compensation.

She had hoped to settle in Cambodia with her boyfriend there but fears her injuries will destroy their relationship.