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Whirlpool tumble dryer due for recall caused building to explode

The machine is one of hundreds of thousands being recalled by Whirlpool over safety fears - Getty Images North America
The machine is one of hundreds of thousands being recalled by Whirlpool over safety fears - Getty Images North America

A tumble dryer that caused a building to explode was one of thousands being recalled over safety fears, the homeowner has confirmed.

On Wednesday, a man was admitted to hospital with burns after his Indesit tumble dryer burst into flames and caused an explosion by igniting aerosol cans that caused a wall of his home in Kessingland, Suffolk, to collapse.

The December 2016 model is one of hundreds of thousands being recalled by Whirlpool over safety fears.

According to the company, 79 fires have so far been attributed to a fault in their appliances' heating elements and door lock systems.

David Metherell, owner of the property on Green Lane, said: "The tumble dryer was an Indesit, comparatively modern new appliance, I purchased it exactly three years ago, installed properly with proper venting, and I just can't believe it could have happened.

"People need to be vigilant and check your own appliances. And consider apparently innocuous things like aerosol cans, they can be lethal if there's a fire.

"I'm just relieved my tenant has survived this. Richard, the tenant, is in hospital being treated for burns. He's in remarkably good spirits given the circumstances." Whirlpool has been approached for comment.