Coroner calls for urgent improvements after disabled people die in tumble dryer fire

Champagauri and Dipak Bhatt were killed by smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at their home in Edgware, North London, caused by a Whirlpool Hotpoint condenser tumble dryer

A coroner has issued an urgent call for safety improvements after a tragic house fire, caused by an electrical fault in a tumble dryer, claimed the lives of two disabled individuals. Champagauri and Dipak Bhatt sadly lost their lives due to smoke inhalation following a blaze at their Edgware home in North London.

The inquest revealed that the fire was sparked by an electrical issue within their Whirlpool Hotpoint condenser tumble dryer, which was less than seven months old and had not been recalled or corrected since the fire in March last year, as informed to the North London Coroner's Court. The coroner is now urging manufacturers and safety watchdogs to enhance communication and analysis of such fires to prevent similar fatalities.

On the evening of March 29, 2023, the Bhatt's home in Edgware was engulfed by a fire ignited by an electrical fault in the Whirlpool tumble dryer. Champagauri, an 86 year old registered blind wheelchair user, and Dipak, a 66 year old who was unable to speak due to brain damage from a previous stroke, were believed to be asleep when the fire broke out.

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The inquest found a 10 per cent likelihood that the EMI filter in the tumble dryer triggered the fire and a 90 per cent chance it was caused by a condensate pump. Both Champagauri and Dipak were awakened by the fire but tragically could not escape the house.

Tragedy struck when Champagauri and Dipak were rescued by emergency services and taken to St Mary’s Hospital, where Champagauri tragically passed away on March 31 and Dipak succumbed to his injuries on April 18. Both deaths were attributed to smoke inhalation from a fire caused by an 'electrical fault' in the tumble dryer, as concluded by Dr Straker.

At their inquest, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) representative suggested better data sharing for large electrical appliances to prevent future fatalities. Dr Straker, in a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, reached out to various companies and safety authorities, including Hotpoint, the maker of the implicated tumble dryer.

He expressed: "During the inquest, an LFB witness made suggestions for more effective data sharing and use. It was apparent future deaths may occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances, it is my statutory duty to report to you."

Pavan Bhatt, a computer scientist who lived with his grandmother Champagauri and Uncle Dipak but was at work during the blaze, has urged those involved to heed Dr Straker's recommendations. Represented by Leigh Day law firm at the inquest, he stated: "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."

Thomas Jervis, a partner at Leigh Day who represented Mr Bhatt at the inquest, added: "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."

Dr Straker's report highlighted specific concerns including moisture getting into condensate pumps that may cause a fire, adding that changes in information management would 'result in better analysis of, and learning from, white goods fires'. It was sent to Hotpoint UK Appliances Limited, the 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 and North Yorkshire Council.

Each organisation has 56 days to respond from the date of receipt.