The Apprentice businesswoman Kavita Oberoi has pressure cooker explode in her face

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A pressure cooker exploded in the face of businesswoman Kavita Oberoi
She was covered in boiling dhal while trying to make a meal for her family
The 45-year-old, who starred in The Apprentice, suffered disfiguring burns
Mrs Oberoi, a mother-of-two, says the freak accident could have killed her

Published: 12:09 EST, 2 October 2015 | Updated: 15:17 EST, 2 October 2015

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A businesswoman who starred in The Secret Millionaire and The Apprentice has told how she suffered disfiguring first degree burns when a pressure cooker exploded in her face.

Kavita Oberoi, 45, was preparing a meal for her family when she lifted the lid on her kitchen appliance and was covered in boiling dhal.

She narrowly avoided being blinded and said the freak accident on September 25 could have killed her.

Badly injured: Kavita Oberoi, 45, suffered disfiguring first degree burns when a pressure cooker exploded in her face (pictured left). The businesswoman (right before the freak accident) starred in The Apprentice

Mrs Oberoi managed to grab her phone and dial 999. Within ten minutes she was taken to Royal Derby Hospital before being transferred to the burns unit at Nottingham City Hospital.

Despite her extensive injuries Mrs Oberoi was discharged the following day and is now using her ordeal to launch a campaign to encourage people to throw their pressure cookers out.

The mother-of-two, from Belper, Derbyshire, said: 'I was preparing dhal before I went to work.

'I needed to squeeze in some cooking for the family before a visit to the office and collecting my daughter from school.

'I had the pressure cooker on for ten minutes and heard it start to whistle, which meant the food was ready.

'I switched off the gas, then moved the cooker to the side and it was really, really hot. I released the pressure and opened the lid.

'The next thing I can remember is a loud explosion and the stuff went everywhere. My face was so hot. I must have shut my eyes because they weren't injured.'

Lucky: She narrowly avoided being blinded and said the freak accident could have killed her

She added: 'There is a safety mechanism in these machines which should make it impossible to open until all the pressure has been released. There shouldn't have been any left inside.

'I keep thinking I should have left it longer to cool down but there must have been a fault with it.

'I was home alone. It was absolutely terrifying when it hit my face, the heat was so intense.

'I was really lucky it didn't touch my eyes. I thought "oh, my God, my face. I'm going to be scarred for life".

'While I was waiting for an ambulance I nearly put a block of ice on my face because my skin was burning so much but it's a good job I didn't because the paramedics said that would have ripped my face off.'

Mrs Oberoi, who was using an old pressure cooker her mother brought over from India, told how the doctors had described her recovery as 'miraculous'.

She said: 'They couldn't believe I wasn't wearing glasses, they asked how I had protected my eyes.

'The blast might have given me a concussion, I could have fallen and banged my head and been killed. If it had gone in my eyes I could have been blinded.

'I'm praying I don't have any permanent scarring but I'm worried about the pigmentation on my neck.

'I might get some permanent discolouration. I've only just been able to start looking at myself in the mirror again.

'I can't believe how much it's healed in the space of a week. I'm very lucky this wasn't more serious and I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else.'

Mrs Oberoi, who received an OBE for services to entrepreneurship and start-up businesses last year, added: 'Pressure cookers are very much part of Asian cooking culture.

Burns: Mrs Oberoi, who was using an old pressure cooker her mother brought over from India, said she is praying she doesn't have any permanent scarring. She said doctors are pleased with her healing so far

Campaign: The mother-of-two, who starred in The Secret Millionaire (pictured), is now using her ordeal to encourage people to throw their pressure cookers out so the same doesn't happen to them

'They are useful for cooking a lot of food quickly for large families and they soften ingredients such as kidney beans and chickpeas.

'The cooker that injured me, which is originally from India, was one I had never used before.

'My mother, who regularly visits and loves cooking, brought it with her some time ago.

'One of my friends had an explosion only just last week from a pressure cooker she bought from a large department store.

'Luckily, she was on the other side of the kitchen at the time.

I'm praying I don't have any permanent scarring but I'm worried about the pigmentation on my neck

Kavita Oberoi

'The list of injuries is endless. You only have to search the internet to see the extent.

'Since my incident I've had a number of people write to me to inform me that they have thrown theirs away.

'I would urge anyone that has one to throw it away as there are much safer alternatives, such as slow cookers.'

Mrs Oberoi has also raised the issue with her local MP, Pauline Latham, who represents the Mid Derbyshire constituency.

Mrs Latham said: 'I was shocked to hear about this horrific accident affecting Kavita and wish her well in her recovery.

'I believe it would be useful to try to establish how many injuries there are using pressure cookers in this country each year so that we can organise an awareness campaign about the dangers they can pose.

'I do not want anyone else to go through this trauma. Kavita has been lucky in that she still has her sight but others may not be so fortunate and I would like to do all I can to help to prevent any other painful and potentially life-threatening injuries happening to someone else.'