IKEA Issues Voluntary Recall of Dressers and Chests That Have Killed 6 Children
IKEA has voluntarily recalled about 29 million dressers and chests after at least six children were killed when the furniture pieces fell over, crushing them to death, according to a report.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Ikea told ABC News that aside from the six who have died, 36 other children were hurt by the dressers, which tend to tip over if they are not anchored to the wall.
Deaths caused by the piece reportedly go back as far as 1989 and all occurred in kids under 4-years-old. The most recent death happened this February, ABC News reports.
Consumers are reportedly being offered a refund for the dresser, and those who would like to keep the piece are being offered repairs on the affected furniture, one of which is the MALM.
According to ABC News, customers with dressers manufactured between 2002 and 2016 are eligible for full refunds, while those with pieces made before 2002 can receive partial store credit.
The CPCS also told the network that IKEA will dispatch crews to customers' homes to install wall anchors if the consumers do not wish to do it themselves. However, until safety measures are taken, the CPCS is reportedly encouraging buyers to place the dressers out of reach of young ones.
"We are announcing this recall today given the recent tragic death of a third child," a statement from Ikea – obtained by ABC News – discussing only the deaths from MALM model read. "It is clear that there are still unsecured products in customers' homes, and we believe that taking further action is the right thing to do."
