SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple has recalled a number of its older generation MacBook Pro because their batteries may overheat and "pose a fire safety risk."

The recall affects 15-inch MacBook Pros with Retina displays sold between September 2015 and February 2017, the company said, adding it would replace batteries free of charge.

A number of countries are covered by the recall.

In mainland China, around 63,000 units may be affected by the problem, China's State Administration for Market Regulation said.

The regulator said there have been 6 reported incidents of overheating among laptops that qualify for the recall in China.

The tech giant, however, said it had not received any reports of significant damage to computers or injuries due to the defect, but urged owners of the affected devices to stop using them immediately.

It said a dedicated recall website has been set up where users can input the serial number to determine if their computer is affected.

The company said the recall does not include newer 15-inch MacBook Pro units or Apple laptops of other sizes and variations.

The battery recall marks the second technical glitch to affect Apple laptops this year. Last month, the US behemoth confirmed that some of its newer laptops had problematic keyboards and offered free replacements to affected customers.

In 2016, South Korean phonemaker Samsung suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 handset after devices caught fire due to flawed batteries exploding.

© Agence France-Presse