Ikea offers wall anchor kit after falling chests kill 2

Swedish furnishings giant Ikea will offer a free wall-anchoring kit for chests and dressers to US consumers after two children died in tip-overs, US authorities said Wednesday.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said the anchors are for some Malm model chests with three and four drawers as well as some other chests and dressers. Some 27 million chests are covered by the program.

"The chests and dressers can pose a tip-over hazard if not securely anchored to the wall," the CPSC said.

The agency said that IKEA had received reports of two children, both around two years old, who died after Malm chests tipped over onto them in 2014. Neither chest had been anchored to a wall.

In total, IKEA and the CPSC have received 14 reports of tip-overs of Malm chests that resulted in four injuries. The agency said that since 1989 IKEA has been aware of three additional reports of deaths from tip-overs of other models of its chests and dressers.

Consumers should not use IKEA children's chests and dressers taller than 23.5 inches (60 centimeters) and adult ones higher than 29.5 inches (75 centimeters) unless they are properly secured to a wall, the agency said.