Coroner warns about Hoover and Candy tumble dryers after the deaths of a father and 9-year-old girl in West Yorkshire

Senior coroner Martin Fleming has issued a warning about the safety of tumble dryers following an inquest into the deaths of two people in a house fire in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire. The victims were 38-year-old Sohaib Ahmed and his 9-year-old daughter Manahal. His other daughter was taken to hospital with serious injuries and survived.

What the inquest found

According to Polish Express, investigators concluded that the fire was most likely caused by a Hoover condenser tumble dryer, model DX C10DCER-80. Firefighters found the man unconscious just inside the front door and the girl upstairs. Despite resuscitation attempts, both died from inhaling fire gases.

The exact cause of the fault could not be identified because the dryer was almost completely destroyed by the fire. Possible causes listed included a fault in the heating element relay, a short circuit or a faulty wiring connection.

The coroner's warning

The coroner wrote that the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) had received a significant number of reports from fire services across the country about fires involving this model. In his view, as many as 1.6 million Hoover and Candy dryers, both condenser and vented, may have the same design features. He also warned of a serious risk of further fatal incidents if no action is taken. He called for a safety review of the appliances and for sales of the model to be halted.

The position of the manufacturer and the authority

Hoover and Candy belong to the Haier group. The company offered condolences to the family, but says there is no evidence of a "systemic safety problem". It refused to withdraw the appliance from sale, saying there were no grounds for doing so.

The DX C10DCER-80 model is no longer made. Production ended in 2022. However, individual units may still be held in third-party sellers' warehouses, and the model is also offered second-hand or refurbished.

OPSS has treated the case as a priority. It has ordered the manufacturer to carry out a detailed Root Cause Analysis for the appliances linked to this tragedy.

What this means for you

Hoover and Candy dryers are common in British homes, so it is worth checking the brand and model number on the appliance's rating plate. This applies especially to the DX C10DCER-80, including if it was bought second-hand. Polish Express advises that if you have doubts about whether a dryer is working properly, you should not run it overnight or while you are out of the house.

It is worth remembering that 1.6 million is the coroner's estimate of equipment that may have similar design features. It is not a confirmed number of faulty appliances. Separately, OPSS is also taking action regarding some Haier-brand heat pump dryers, including Hoover and Candy. However, the available sources do not indicate that these involve the same model. Information about these programmes can be found on GOV.UK.