IKEA recalling 29 million chests and dressers after child deaths

Tuesday, June 28, 2016
PHILADELPHIA -- Ikea is recalling 29 million chests and dressers after six children were killed when the furniture toppled over and fell on them.

The recall involves about 8 million MALM chests and dressers and 21 million additional children's and adult chests and dressers sold by Ikea in the U.S.
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The recalled MALM chests and dressers were manufactured and sold through June 2016 and include the 3-drawer, 4-drawer, 5-drawer and 6-drawer models. Other IKEA chests and dressers in this recall were sold at various times through June 2016.




LINK: Recall announcement at CPSC.gov

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that at least six children, all of whom were 3 years old or younger, were killed when an Ikea chest or dresser fell on them.



One of the victims was a 2-year-old West Chester boy, Curren Collas.

Curren Collas



He died in 2014 after an Ikea MALM 6 chest drawer tipped over and pinned him against his bed.

"I couldn't tell if there was a heartbeat, you know I was so afraid," Jaquelyn Collas recalled to ABC News Monday.

Despite her attempt at CPR, the toddler was pronounced dead a few hours later, she said.
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Collas is suing Ikea, claiming the company failed to warn consumers that the "front-heavy" dressers were potentially dangerous, according to the amended complaint, filed in May 2015.



"I didn't know to anchor my furniture and, in my mind, I feel that we really shouldn't have to," Collas told ABC News. "Get rid of it, it's dangerous, it's a really dangerous product."

In 2015, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of the MALM chests, but customers at that time were asked to install a wall anchoring repair kit, and were told not to return the drawers.

On Monday night, in a statement released to Action News, Ikea stated it distributed 300,000 of those repair kits.

But the company added, "We are announcing this recall today given the recent tragic death of a third child. It is clear there are still unsecured products in customers' homes, and we believe taking further action is the right thing to do."

The third child was a 22-month-old Minnesota boy who was crushed under a falling dresser.



Action News checked, and as of Monday night the MALM chests had been removed from in-store displays and from the Plymouth Township location's self-serve furniture warehouse.



Notices were posted on other models, warning the furniture should be secured to the wall.
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The company says that all chests and dressers should be attached to a wall to prevent them from toppling over.

Ikea says anyone who owns a chest or dresser that is not mounted to a wall should remove them out of reach from children.



The company is offering free kits to attach the chests and dressers to a wall. Customers can also ask Ikea for a refund.

The company released the following contact information:

Call IKEA toll-free at 866-856-4532 anytime or online at www.IKEA-USA.com/recallchestsanddressers or www.IKEA-USA.com and click on Product Recall for more information on how to receive a refund or free wall-anchoring repair kit.

Moving forward, the manufacturer says it plans to work with the Consumer Product Safety Commission on tip-over protection and innovations to enhance product safety of all of their drawers and dressers.

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The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
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