Coroner raises safety concerns after the deaths of two disabled Londoners in a house fire caused by Whirlpool Hotpoint tumble dryer

On 15 November, an inquest at North London Coroner’s Court found that Champagauri and Dipak Bhatt died from smoke inhalation during the fire at their house in Edgware in 2023. The coroner concluded that the fire most likely started due to the failure of an electrical component called a condensate pump terminal within their Whirlpool Hotpoint condenser tumble dryer. The dryer was less than seven months old, and the model is not currently subject to any corrective action or recall.

The Coroner for North London, Dr Peter Straker has now published a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) Report calling for action to be taken to reduce the risk of future deaths caused by fires started by white goods such as tumble dryers, to improve the reporting and analysis of such fires and to improve communication between manufacturers and the organisations responsible for fire safety.

When the fire started, 86-year-old Champagauri, who was registered blind and used a wheelchair, and 66-year-old Dipak, who was brain damaged and unable to speak after previously suffering a stroke, were thought to have been asleep. They subsequently woke up but could not escape from the house. They were rescued by the emergency services and taken to St Mary’s Hospital where Champagauri died on 31 March 2023 and Dipak died on 18 April 2023.

Champagauri and Dipak lived with their grandson and nephew Pavan Bhatt, a 29-year-old computer scientist. Pavan was at work at the time of the fire.

Dr Straker has since published a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report highlighting the risk that deaths may occur unless action is taken to address the following concerns:

1. That moisture getting into condensate pumps may cause a fire.
2. That changes in information management would result in better analysis of, and learning from, white goods fires.
3. Manufacturers to give the Office of Product Safety Standards (OPSS) as the regulator and London Fire Brigade (LFB) data on parts replaced on warranty for condensate pumps and RFI filters to support their fire prevention work.
4. For the specialist working group within British Standards Institute to look at the standards of manufacture of mains and sub mains operated condensate pumps and RFI filters, to improve standards.
5. Manufacturers to share data on decisions and rationale behind recall / replacement of condensate pumps and RFI filters with the Office of Product Safety Standards (OPSS) as the regulator and London Fire Brigade to support their fire prevention work.
6. Companies investigating fires to notify Trading Standards and the Office of Product Safety Standards (OPSS) of the outcome of those investigations.
7. Manufacturers to be required to use the OPSS risk assessment methodology, PRISM, when conducting risk assessments to account for persons in a property and their actions, i.e. sleeping whilst a product is taking advantage of lower electricity rates.
8. Identification plates on appliances that will not be destroyed by fire akin to those on vehicles.

The coroner’s PFD report will be sent to the following organisations which have 56 days to respond:

• Hotpoint UK Appliances Limited
• Office of Product Safety Standards
• British Standards Institute
• National Fire Chief’s Council 
• The Home Office Fire Policy Team
• Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances
• Chartered Trading Standards Institute
• Association of British Insurers 
• North Yorkshire Council

Pavan Bhatt was represented at the inquest by Thomas Jervis, partner at law firm Leigh Day.

Pavan Bhatt said:

“I sincerely hope the coroner’s wide ranging and serious concerns over the safety of Whirlpool Hotpoint tumble dryers will lead to action being taken by the manufacturer and regulatory bodies. Since the night of the fire, I have had to deal with the distress and grief of losing my much-loved grandmother and uncle in these appalling circumstances. I now call on all those concerned to follow the recommendations in the coroner’s report, so we can avoid another family having to go through a similar tragedy.”

Leigh Day partner Thomas Jervis said:

“My client welcomes the Coroner’s robust prevention of future deaths report and hopes that it leads to real and meaningful change. The family will now wait for Hotpoint’s response as to whether they are going to carry out a full voluntary recall of machines with these components. In the alternative, they will be expecting the government to intervene again”