Man died in fire caused by faulty fridge-freezer, inquest hears

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/05/fire-faulty-fridge-freezer-inquest

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A man died trying to save his children from a fire caused by a faulty fridge-freezer that had a history of problems, an inquest has heard.

Santosh Benjamin Muthiah, 36, helped his wife pass their baby daughter into the arms of a neighbour, but died as smoke filled their house in Wealdstone, north London.

Jennifer Benjamin, a paediatrician who was on maternity leave, was in a coma for two weeks after the blaze in November 2010 but survived, along with the couple's three-year-old daughter and their three-month-old baby.

Barnet coroner's court heard that the fire was caused by a Beko fridge-freezer that had a faulty defrost timer mechanism.

The court heard that Beko, one of Europe's largest white goods brands, had been aware of a problem with components as far back as 2003 but failed to rectify it.

London fire brigade had written to the company after a number of fires on similar models. But the product was only recalled after Mr Benjamin's death, the court was told.

The inquest heard that the couple had discovered a problem with their fridge days before the fire. Investigators found the fridge's manual open at the page with phone numbers to contact the manufacturers.

In a statement read to the inquest, Dr Benjamin said: "Since Santosh's death I am aware that Beko issued a voluntary recall of the relevant fridge-freezer models. I confirm that had I received notice of this recall I am adamant that I would have acted immediately and contacted the manufacturer for guidance."

She added: "Just prior to 11 November 2010 our Beko fridge-freezer had been playing up a bit. I did not think it was anything serious. The freezer was meant to be frost-free, but the back panel was icing up and the defrost panel was not running.

"I had got the appliance manual out ready to call up to ask about it but did not get round to it because I was at home on maternity leave and busy with my new baby. As food was not spoiling I did not think that the frost issue was an important or urgent issue. The fire occurred just before I was able to contact Beko."

The inquest continues.