Whirlpool Refrigerator Blamed for London’s Deadly Grenfell Tower Fire

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Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) is in hot waters as one of its refrigerators caused the deadly Grenfell Tower fire in London.

Whirlpool RefrigeratorEnglish authorities determined that a Whirlpool refrigerator with the brand name Hotpoint ignited the fire in the Grenfell Tower that resulted in the deaths or presumed deaths of at least 79 people. The company’s fridge was manufactured through its subsidiary Indesit.

“We offer our most profound condolences to the victims, those who have lost loved-ones, homes, and possessions, and to their friends and families,” Whirlpool said in a statement. “We are addressing this as a matter of utmost urgency.”

The company manufactured 64,000 Hotpoint refrigerators between 2006 and 2009 with the model numbers FF175BP and FF175BG–the former of these two was the model make of the Whirlpool refrigerator that blew up.

The U.K. government has issued an order for an immediate examination of all such units in order to determine whether or not they pose a fire risk as well. They added that customers should not turn off their freezers at the moment as there is no specific reason to do so.

The London Metropolitan Police is considering filing criminal charges against the company, including manslaughter charges. They are still determining who exactly should be responsible for such a tragedy that affected dozens of families around the English capital.

WHR stock slipped 3.7% Friday on the tragedy.


Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2017/06/whirlpool-refrigerator-grenfell/.

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