Lenovo has begun a worldwide recall on lithium-ion batteries from several ThinkPad models, saying they pose a fire hazard risk.

Lenovo launched the battery recall yesterday following two reports in North America of battery packs overheating, causing damage to the batteries themselves, the computers holding them, and nearby property, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) reported on Thursday.

According to Lenovo, the batteries in question shipped in a number of countries, included in various ThinkPad notebook models between October 2010 and April 2011. The batteries were also sold separately as spare parts.

Lenovo said it sold the affected batteries with or as replacement batteries for the ThinkPad T410, T420, T510, W510, X100E, X120E, X200, X201 and X201s Series as well as its Edge 11, Edge 13, and Edge 14 Series.

Lenovo is offering to replace batteries free of charge regardless of warranty status.

"Until a replacement battery arrives, you should turn off the system, remove the battery, and only power your ThinkPad by plugging in the AC adapter and power cord," Lenovo warned.

According to CSPC, there were about 34,500 units were shipped in the US and 2,900 in Canada, while China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has said the recall there involves 117,732 batteries, according to the Xinhua news bureau.

Batteries were also sold separately for between $80 to $150. The model numbers that consumers should check for on a white sticker below the bar code on a battery pack are: 42T4695, 42T4711, 42T4798, 42T4804, 42T4812, 42T4822, 42T4828, 42T4834, 42T4840 and 42T4890.