Hotpoint issues apology after one of its appliances found to start Grenfell Tower fire
Kitchen appliance company Hotpoint has offered “profound condolences” to the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, an incident that killed upwards of 79 people in a blaze originating with one of its fridge freezers.
Grenfell Tower
Although a series of variables remain under investigation, such as the lack of sprinklers in the tower and the seemingly flammable construction materials, the initial source of the fire was deemed by authorities to be a Hotpoint fridge-freezer.
The Guardian quotes a spokesman from the company as having said: “Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy. We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved, including the emergency services who risked their lives to extinguish the blaze and rescue those in the building."
Consumers with the FF175BP or FF175BG model have since been asked to contact 0800 316 3826 or visit hotpointservice.co.uk/fridgefreezer so that the company can register their details and contact them with further information.
Hotpoint has said it will seek access to the appliance to derive the cause of the fire. It has been noted that the appliance was produced between 2006 and 2009, meaning the unit is unlikely to have been much more than a decade old at the time of the accident. 64,000 units were produced although much fewer than that are thought to be in circulation today.
The Drum columnist Andrew Eborn analysed the media coverage of the tragedy at the time.