Swedish furniture giant Ikea said Wednesday it was recalling 29 million dressers and chests in the MALM line from the U.S. market after a sixth child was crushed to death when one of the pieces fell on him.

The recall also covers 6.6 million drawers sold in Canada, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, said.

“The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a serious tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or serious injuries to children,” the CPSC said in a statement.

The agency mentioned, among other incidents, the deaths in February and June 2014 of two children, ages 23 months and 2, who were crushed when MALM line dressers fell on them in Pennsylvania and Washington.

In response, Ikea and the CPSC had announced a program to urge buyers of these furniture models to anchor them to a wall to avoid new accidents.

Both the CPSC and Ikea, however, received reports of 41 other incidents of MALM furniture toppling, leaving at least four more children dead and 19 others injured.

The Swedish company is offering customers a refund on returned furniture or accessories to anchor the furniture to a wall, with the work being done either by the buyer or by an IKEA employee at no charge.

“Consumers should immediately stop using any recalled chest and dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and place it into an area that children cannot access,” the CPSC said. EFE

 

Washington, Jun 29 (EFE)