Ikea to recall millions of dressers blamed in deaths of three toddlers

The company is expected to offer refunds in what’s being reported as an unprecedented recall of more than 25 million dressers.

Ikea / ViaTwitter: @IKEAUSA

Ikea has stopped selling several models of its popular Malm dresser and is expected to offer refunds to millions of customers after three toddlers died when the furniture tipped over.

The Philadelphia Inquirerfirst reported what’s expected to be an unprecedented recall, the details of which will be announced Tuesday. At least 27 million dressers will be recalled,NBC News reported, and the company’s U.S. president urged customers to take unsecured dressers out of their homes.

IKEA

The recall comes after thedeaths of three toddlershave been linked to the Ikea dressers. In February 2014, 2-year-old Curren Collas was found by his mother underneath a Malm dresser that tipped over in his room. He later died at a hospital. In a similar incident in June 2014, 2-year-old Camden Ellis was killed.

The deaths sparked lawsuits, and in response, the company offered condolences and began a program to offer free kits to secure dressers to walls.

“Since 1989, IKEA is aware of reports of three additional deaths from tip-overs involving other models of IKEA chests and dressers,” the company said in a statement at the time. “We urge customers to inspect their IKEA chests and dressers to ensure that they are securely anchored to the wall. Consumers should move unanchored chests and dressers into storage or other areas where they cannot be accessed by children until the chests and dressers are properly anchored to the wall.”

But even with the enactment of the program, another toddler died after being found underneath a tipped over Ikea dresser. Teddy McGee, who was 22 months, died in February, and his death was under investigation by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, according to attorneys for his family.

According to the commission, a child dies in the U.S. every two weeks because of tipped over furniture or appliances.

As of Monday, the dressers were no longer for sale on Ikea’s website. In astatement to CNN, the company said it was clear that unsecured dressers continued to be in homes.

“We believe that taking further action is the right thing to do,” the Ikea statement said.

(BUZZFEED NEWS)