Chinese Toyota plant still closed after explosions

The massive explosion in Tianjin, China on August 12 continues to cause headaches for automakers operating in the area, and there's no certainty exactly when the situation could improve. Toyota is among the hardest hit with a major plant in the city closed until at least August 19 due to contamination evacuations in the area, according to Bloomberg. With the factory out of commission, three assembly lines with joint venture partner FAW can't build vehicles, and they are responsible for about half of the company's annual production in China.

The blast knocked out some of the Toyota plant's windows, according to Bloomberg. The company has also been looking for any further damage that might keep things from restarting when workers return. In addition to the closed factory, at least 50 Toyota employees living in the area were injured, and two of the brand's dealers had to close. The automaker's research and design center with FAW was reportedly battered, as well.

Toyota is hardly the only automaker suffering from the explosion. Volkswagen lost thousands of vehicles in the blast, and Land Rover, Renault, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi had smaller numbers of models destroyed. The damage to the city's vital port has prompted concerns from Mazda about how to keep parts flowing into China. The human toll has also been massive with at least 114 dead and many still missing in the tragedy, according to Bloomberg.

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