TWO ELDERLY women died from carbon monoxide poisoning after a grill door on a cooker was left closed, an inquest was told yesterday.
Friends and neighbours Annie Gallagher (84), and Sarah McDyer (79), were found dead at Ms Gallagher’s home in Glenties, Co Donegal, on September 24th, 2009.
Pathologist Dr Gerry O’Dowd, who carried out both autopsies, said they had died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Much of yesterday’s hearing dealt with claims surrounding allegations that the Flavel Beko cooker, which allegedly emitted the gas fumes, was faulty.
The inquest was told there had been up to six deaths in Ireland and England directly connected to similar cookers.
Fire investigation consultant Stephen Hammond carried out tests at the scene on behalf of the Commission for Energy Regulation.
He said that in separate tests, involving turning on the cooker with the door opened and closed, he found the level of gas emitted exceeded EU standards.
The inquest heard that prior to the Glenties deaths, State agencies including the National Standards Authority, the Commission for Energy Regulation and the National Consumer Agency had discussed concerns over the safety of certain Beko cookers.
The group had asked independent investigators Burgoynes to examine whether models of cookers made by Beko and distributed by Glen Dimplex between 2006 and 2008 might be faulty. It was estimated that there were 5,375 cookers involved.
This had followed the death of a French student Alexis Landry (21) in Macroom, Co Cork, on November 8th, 2008, which also involved a Beko cooker.
John Shine from the National Consumer Agency accepted in evidence that it was not until December 23rd 2008 that it was decided to order a product recall for the cookers concerned.
He accepted that the agency did not have the power to ensure that companies followed up on all such recalls.
The solicitor for the families of the two women, Frank Dorrian, said that between the deaths on September 24th and February 2010, 2,667 Beko cookers were located across Ireland; of those 2,198 were modified.
Peter Nolan, for Beko, said it was his client that took the lead in trying to contact all of the owners of the cookers, before the deaths in Co Donegal.
He said they issued circulars, personal letters, television interviews, took out newspaper adverts and even set up a call centre.
Questioned by Mr Nolan, Mr Shine accepted that the consumer agency received up to five updates from Beko in its attempt to recall all the cookers.
“What more could the company have done? I would have to put it that the National Consumer Agency did not spend one penny and there was nothing more that could have been done [by the company],” said Mr Nolan.
Mr Shine added that 1,300 of the cookers were still unaccounted for in Ireland but the consumer agency did not know how many were still in use.
The inquest continues today.