Target recall issues for over 200,000 weighted blankets after 2 children die

Target has issued a recall for more than 200,000 weighted blankets after two children in North Carolina died of asphyxiation, federal officials and Target said Thursday.

The girls, ages 4 and 6, died in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, after being trapped in blankets in April, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a news release.

Target urged people who purchased the 6-pound Pillowfort-brand blankets to stop using them immediately and contact the store for a refund.

“A young child can become trapped unzipping and stepping into the cover, posing a risk of death from asphyxiation,” the company said.

“We extend our deepest condolences and support to the family who lost loved ones,” a company spokesperson added in an emailed statement. “As soon as we became aware of the situation, we acted quickly to begin removing Pillowfort weighted blankets from our assortment and removed all such items from sale.”

Target has received four reports of children trapped in the 6-book covers, including the two deaths, the federal agency said.

The covers, sold exclusively by Target, were available from December 2018 through September, the agency said. The recall was issued for 204,000 blankets, he said.