Yahoo News Whirlpool Hotpoint tumble dryer sparked blaze killing 2 disabled people in North London house fire
Two disabled North Londoners were killed in a house fire started by an electrical fault in a tumble dryer manufactured by a company previously forced to recall products over safety issues. Champagauri Bhatt and Dipak Bhatt died at their home in Edgware on March 29, 2023 after their Whirlpool Hotpoint caused their home to burst into flames at around 6pm.
At an inquest on Friday (November 15), coroner Dr Peter Straker determined that Champagauri and Dipak died as a result of smoke inhalation from the fire which started in the condenser tumble dryer. The dryer had been purchased less than seven months previously and the specific model is not currently subject to any corrective action or recall notice.
Champagauri, 86, was severely disabled, registered blind and used a wheelchair, while Dipak, 66, was brain damaged and unable to speak due to a serious stroke that he suffered some years before. Pavan, a 29-year-old computer scientist who was the carer for his grandmother and uncle, was at work at the time of the fire.
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Champagauri and Dipak were thought to have been asleep when the fire started. They subsequently woke up but could not escape from the house and were exposed to high levels of smoke and heat. They were rescued by the emergency services and taken to St Mary’s Hospital where Champagauri died on March 31, 2023 and Dipak died on April 18, 2023.
The inquest at Barnet Coroner’s Court, heard evidence over three days from Wednesday November 6. This included evidence from three forensic fire experts, commissioned by appliance manufacturer Whirlpool, which makes the Hotpoint and Indesit brands, London Fire Brigade and the Bhatt family, who each put forward their own theories as to how the fire started.
After considering the evidence the coroner concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the dryer, most likely in the dryer’s condensate pump, which pumps water extracted during the drying process from a reservoir at the bottom of the machine to a bottle at the top which can be emptied by the user.
In December 2019 Whirlpool agreed a financial settlement with West London residents left homeless after one of its fault tumble dryers caused a large tower block fire in Shepherd's Bush Green in August 2016. Thirty-seven people launched legal claims against the firm after losing their homes and possessions in the blaze.
The same month the firm also announced half a million of its washing machines in UK homes - branded as Hotpoint or Indesit - would to be recalled over concerns about potential fires. The Indesit tumble dryer, which was in the kitchen of a seventh-floor flat in Shepherds Court, had been recalled by the firm and was due to be inspected when the fire occurred three years ago.
As of October 2021, the Office for Product Safety and Standards said 277,715 potentially affected customers had come forward since the recall campaign was announced in December 2019, of which around 210,000 were identified as having an affected machine and been fully resolved. Over 201,000 of those were replaced, while nearly 4,000 were modified with replacement parts.
'This model is clearly dangerous'
Pavan Bhatt said: “To lose my grandmother and uncle in such terrible circumstances has been immensely traumatic for myself and the rest of my family. Since the night of the fire, I have not only had to deal with the loss of two much-loved family members, I have also been made homeless and had my whole life uprooted.
"To hear evidence at the inquest that the fire which cost my relatives their lives was caused by a tumble dryer which I had only purchased six months before the fire is deeply troubling to me. This model is clearly dangerous and should be recalled as soon as possible. If not, I fear it will not be long before another family experiences the pain and grief we have had to endure.”
'The company has failed to learn vital lessons'
Leigh Day partner Thomas Jervis, who represented Pavan Bhatt, said: “The Whirlpool Hotpoint tumble dryer that caused this tragic fire and cost my client the lives of two of his closest relatives, was purchased brand new just six months earlier.
"It is plain to see that, despite Whirlpool’s previous track record of fires being caused by its faulty appliances, the company has failed to learn vital lessons around fire safety in relation to its products.
"It is time the company took greater responsibility for the safety of its customers and recalled this particular model of tumble dryer as well as any others where there may be safety concerns. This is not the first time I have represented families at inquests into deaths caused by fires involving Whirlpool Hotpoint appliances. If urgent action is not taken, I fear it may not be the last.”
Preventing future deaths
The coroner has said he will be releasing a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report in relation to the fatal fire recommending that the following action be taken:
Whirlpool to provide all relevant data on door switch failures to HM Coroner and the Office of Product Safety and Standards in order to establish the full extent of the problem.
That British Standards Institute working group to investigate the safety of mains and sub-mains operated door switches (used by a number of manufacturers) and report on the outcome of this work.
Whirlpool share their consideration rationale regarding taking corrective action regards to all appliances known to be fitted with this type of door switch. Examinations by London Fire Brigade have found defective door switches as far back as 2014.
That companies and organisations which investigate fires, such as insurance companies, legal firms, private fire investigators, should be legally obliged to notify Trading Standards when the fire was a result of a product failure.
The manufacturers’ risk assessment process needs to be reviewed to take account of the heightened risk to people whilst they are asleep.
The London Fire Brigade have been working with the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) to develop other means of identifying fire damaged white goods. If this trial is unsuccessful, a marking scheme using a stamp or metal plate that identifies the manufacturer and model number of the appliance is recommended to remove ambiguity.
That the condensate pump in tumble dryers should not be housed in casing which a) allows for the ingress of water where there are live electrical components, b) is flammable, c) provides an additional fuel load for a potential fire, and d) manufacturers should consider this condensate pump might be used in wet appliances produced by other manufacturers.
'The safety of our products is always our top priority'
In response, a Whirlpool spokesperson said: "We extend our deepest sympathies to the Bhatt family and everyone affected by this tragedy. The safety of our products is always our top priority. We are actively reviewing the Coroner’s conclusions in detail and will remain in constant dialogue with the regulatory authorities."
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