Samsung has recalled more than a million stoves in the US over fires and pet deaths

Samsung has announced a recall of more than 1 million stoves after they caused 250 fires and pet deaths in the United States.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement Thursday that it has issued a recall notice for more than 1 million Samsung cookstoves after receiving hundreds of reports of the devices accidentally starting up, The New York Times reported.

Samsung stoves have injured dozens of people and killed at least seven pets in the United States.

In a statement announcing the voluntary recall, Samsung said that 30 models of Samsung electric stoves sold since 2013 are now being recalled, and that customers who own these products will receive a free set of knob locks or covers to minimize the risk to people or pets from accidental fires.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the recall includes more than 1.1 million electric stoves. About 250 fires caused by such stoves resulted in about 40 injuries, eight of which required medical attention, and 18 "caused significant property damage."

When asked how many pets had died and why Samsung had issued a recall 11 years after it began selling the defective electronics, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission declined to comment and referred reporters to Samsung and the commission's websites.

'Consumers should be aware that there is a risk of accidental contact with the knob of any stove,' said Mr. Langlois, the Samsung spokesman. In a statement, Samsung said consumers should keep stove tops clean, make sure children and pets are kept away, and make sure stove valves are turned off after cooking.