An everyday household appliance killed my family

A man whose family was killed in a house fire caused by a faulty tumble dryer has urged others to check their machines for potential dangers. 

Pavan Bhatt lost his grandmother Champagauri, 86, and uncle Dipak, 66, in March last year after a an electrical fault within the Hotpoint machine sparked a devastating blaze inside their north London home.

The 30-year-old, who was also left homeless following the inferno, was returning from work when a panicked neighbour called to say his home was on fire.    

Pavan raced back as quick as he could and found find the house ablaze, with emergency services already on the scene. 

Champagauri, a wheelchair user who was registered blind, and Dipak, who had suffered brain damage and was non-verbal, were thought to have been asleep when the fire started and had inhaled a lethal amount of smoke.

After being rushed to hospital, Pavan's grandmother tragically passed away just two days after the fire, while his uncle died less than three weeks later on April 18. 

At an inquest into their deaths, the coroner ruled the blaze had been caused by an electrical fault that most likely occurred inside the dryer's pump, before spreading to the cupboards above and eventually engulfing most of the house. 

In the wake of the tragic incident, Pavan is urging other families to research their home appliances before making a purchase and failing to do so 'could be like bringing a bomb into your home'. 

Pavan told The Sunday Times: 'When someone buys a tumble dryer, they're not buying it thinking, 'I've just put a potential bomb in my house'. 

'I fear it will not be long before another family experiences the pain and grief [I] have had to endure.' 

He has urged people to research devices they purchase by looking into the company and its history 'in order to ensure the safety of yourself and your family'.

Pavan is also calling on Whirlpool, which is owns the European division of the Hotpoint brand, to recall the model that caused the fire at his home. 

More than five million dryers under Whirlpool's Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit labels had a design fault that caused at least 750 household fires between 2004 and 2015. 

A fire that killed two people inside a flat in Llanrwst, North Wales, in October 2014 was likely caused by a faulty Hotpoint tumble dryer, a coroner ruled at the time.

London Fire brigade said a blaze in Shepherd's Bush in an 18-storey building in August 2016 which took 120 firefighters to get under control was caused by a faulty Indesit tumble dryer. 

In September 2018, mother Jemma Spurr, had just returned home from the school run, when she noticed a burning smell while the machine was on in her garage. 

She quickly fled her home with her three children, including her then eight-month-old daughter Amber, who was napping in her cot. Luckily, they all managed to escape with their lives. 

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Grandmother, 86, and her disabled son, 66, died in house fire that may have been caused by an electrical fault on the door switch of tumble dryer

In 2019, following public outcry, Whirlpool confirmed that some of its Hotpoint and Indesit models needed to be recalled. 

Vice President of Whirlpool Jeff Noel said at the time: 'I want to apologise sincerely for the worry and inconvenience I know this will cause, especially during these difficult times.

'I'd also like to reassure you that we are working as quickly as we can to provide solutions to affected customers as soon as possible.

'Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers, and working quickly to remove the affected appliances from customers' homes is our number one priority.' 

The coroner looking into Pavan's family's deaths has said he will be releasing a Prevention of Future Deaths report calling for the risk assessment process for tumble dryer manufacturers to be reviewed. 

He added that Whirlpool should provide all relevant data about certain mechanical faults to HM Coroner and the Office of Product Safety and Standards, so they can fully establish the cause of the fire. 

Meanwhile, Pavan is considering launching a civil claim for compensation against Whirlpool himself. 

He was made temporarily homeless while his house was renovated, a cost which he has been forced to cover as the property was uninsured. He now lives at the house with his partner Ambar Choudhry, 28.

Whirlpool told The Sunday Times that the safety of its products was its 'top priority' and extended its 'deepest sympathies to the Bhatt family', 

The company added: 'We are actively reviewing the coroner's conclusions in detail and will remain in constant dialogue with the regulatory authorities.' 

The inquest earlier this year heard from three forensic experts, each selected by Whirlpool, Bhatt and LFB. 

The investigator chosen by Whirlpool suggested there could have been an 'external' cause to the fire - possibly a cigarette butt, seeing as Pavan's uncle was allowed to smoke two cigarettes a day, while supervised.

The other two believed it was caused by a machine fault, with one saying it was an issue with the dryer’s pump, while the other said it was down to an electrical fault at the door switch of the tumble-dryer.

Leigh Day partner Thomas Jervis, who represented Pavan at the inquest, 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.'

MailOnline has contacted Whirlpool for comment.