Urgent warning about common household appliances after two deaths in London

A man whose family died 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 an electrical fault in the Hotpoint machine caused a devastating fire at their north London home.

The 30-year-old was returning from work when a panicked neighbor called to say his house was on fire.

Pavan ran back as quickly as he could and discovered the house on fire, with emergency services already on the scene.

Unfortunately, his two family members, both of whom had disabilities, could not be saved. They were probably sleeping when the fire broke out and died of smoke inhalation.

Pavan told The Sunday Times: ‘When someone buys a tumble dryer, they don’t buy it thinking, ‘I’ve just planted a potential bomb in my house.’

His case is not an isolated one. More than 5 million dryers under Whirlpool’s Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit labels had a design flaw that caused at least 750 home fires between 2004 and 2015.

It comes as another common feature of British homes has been linked to deaths: trendy kitchen worktops.

Pavan Bhatt lost his grandmother and uncle in March last year after an electrical fault in a Hotpoint tumble dryer caused a devastating fire at their north London home (pictured)

Champagauri Bhatt, 86, and her son Dipak Bhatt, 66, (pictured together) were tragically killed when a fire broke out at their home in Edgware, north London, on March 29 last year.

Pavan also calls on Whirlpool, owner of the European division of the Hotpoint brand, to recall the model that caused the fire in his home (File image)

A growing number of doctors have warned about the risks of the dust emitted from quartz kitchen worktops, which are now found in kitchens across the country.

One British stone worker has already died from the disease silicosis, in which small particles of stone dust are inhaled during the sawing process.

Once in the lungs, these particles can build up and destroy the lungs, causing internal scarring and inflammation.

Silicosis patients – so far only those who work with the stone – are at increased risk of infection, have dangerously reduced lung effectiveness, meaning their organs struggle to function properly, and can suffer from potentially fatal organ failure.

There have been 11 cases in Britain in the past year, including one death from the progressive disease, which can only be cured by a lung transplant.

One patient is father-of-three Marek Marzec, who said the lung disease silicosis has left him “unable to breathe” and “in total pain.”

From his hospital bed, Mr Marzec, who is too ill to receive a life-saving lung transplant, said he is demanding

Mr. Marzec, who is too ill to receive a life-saving lung transplantsaid he is demanding “urgent” safety changes to prevent this others will not die after simply ‘doing their job’.

Marek Marzec became terminally ill at the age of 48 after working with quartz worktops for a stone manufacturer for ten years

Expensive quartz countertops are made from one of the hardest minerals on earth, which when processed results in the release of potentially harmful fine dust particles

Silicosis causes internal scarring and inflammation of the lungs through the fine particles that workers inhale. Depicted silicosis of the lung tissue under magnification

Following the recent fire tragedy, Pavan is calling on Whirlpool to recall the model that caused the fire at his home.

Fires linked to Whirlpool’s Hotpoint, Creda and Indesit labels have previously been linked to deaths and near misses in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

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

The coroner investigating the deaths of Pavan’s family has said he will release a report to prevent future deaths calling for a review of the risk assessment process for tumble dryer manufacturers.

He added that Whirlpool must provide all relevant details of certain mechanical faults to HM Coroner and the Office of Product Safety and Standards so that they can fully determine the cause of the fire.

Meanwhile, Pavan is considering filing a civil claim for damages against Whirlpool itself after being left homeless following the inferno.

Whirlpool told The Sunday Times that the safety of its products was its “top priority” and expressed its “deepest condolences to the Bhatt family,”

The company added: ‘We are actively reviewing the coroner’s conclusions in detail and will remain in ongoing dialogue with regulators.’

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

Whirlpool’s chosen investigator suggested there could have been an “external” cause for the fire – possibly a cigarette butt, as Pavan’s uncle was allowed to smoke two cigarettes a day under supervision.

The other two thought it was caused by a machine fault, with one saying it was a problem with the dryer’s pump, while the other said it was due to an electrical fault at the dryer’s door switch.

Leigh Day partner Thomas Jervis, who represented Pavan at the inquest, said: ‘The Whirlpool Hotpoint tumble dryer which caused this tragic fire and cost my client the lives of two of his close relatives was purchased brand new just six months earlier.’

“It is clear that, despite Whirlpool’s previous track record of fires caused by defective appliances, the company has failed to learn essential fire safety lessons related to its products.

‘It is time for the company to take more responsibility for the safety of its customers and recall this particular model of tumble dryer, as well as all other models where there may be safety risks.

“This is not the first time I have represented families in investigations into deaths caused by fires involving Whirlpool Hotpoint appliances. If urgent action is not taken, I fear this will not be the last.’

MailOnline has contacted Whirlpool for comment.