Hotpoint urges Irish customers to check fridge freezers after London fire

Anyone who believes they may have same model should make contact with company

Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy, Hotpoint, which is owned by Whirlpool, said.  The British Government has ordered an immediate examination by experts of the model of Hotpoint fridge freezer involved in the Grenfell Tower fire, Downing Street said. Photograph: Nick Ansell/PA Wire
Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy, Hotpoint, which is owned by Whirlpool, said. The British Government has ordered an immediate examination by experts of the model of Hotpoint fridge freezer involved in the Grenfell Tower fire, Downing Street said. Photograph: Nick Ansell/PA Wire

Hotpoint has asked its Irish customers to check fridge freezers to see if they are the same model as that now blamed for starting the Grenfell Tower fire in London.

The initial cause of the blaze has been linked to the Hotpoint appliance model number FF175BP.

A spokesman for the company said the appliances were sold in Ireland but they did not have exact sales figures on Friday evening. It is believed the “vast majority” were sold in the UK.

However, the company said anyone who believes they may have model numbers FF175BP or FF175BG should make contact.

READ SOME MORE

No immediate advice has been issued but Hotpoint said it is working with London authorities to access the appliance in question in order to assist with the investigation.

“Under these circumstances, we are unable to speculate on further details at this time,” it said in a statement on Friday.

“We are addressing this as a matter of utmost urgency and assisting the authorities in any way we can. We will provide additional updates as our investigations progress.”

Between March 2006 and July 2009, 64,000 of the units were manufactured by Indesit under the Hotpoint brand. It said the actual number of appliances in use today would be lower given the time period involved.

"Words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy," Hotpoint, which is owned by Whirlpool, said.

“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.”

Anyone who believes they own either of the two models can register with the company through its free-phone hotline on 0800 316 3826 or by visiting hotpointservice.co.uk/fridgefreezer.

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard is a reporter with The Irish Times