BEIJING (Reuters) -- Volkswagen today said that about 2,700 of its imported cars were damaged in last week's blasts at the port in China's Tianjin, which killed more than 100 people.
Tianjin is China's largest port for car imports. Volkswagen's announcement follows Renault confirming that nearly 1,500 of its cars burned in the explosions originating in an area of the port that stored toxic chemicals.
Renault said its car deliveries in China may dip in August and September after the explosion but the company is keeping unchanged its forecast for China deliveries in 2015.
Toyota said three of its production lines in China will stay shut through Aug. 19.
Evacuation orders in the area will prevent Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co. from operating for three days, Toyota spokesman Itsuki Kurosu said. A production line in Xiqing, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) away, will remain shut because it needs parts produced in Tianjin.
The death toll from the Wednesday blasts at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin has risen to 112, while 95 people are still missing, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The area was evacuated Friday and Saturday, and Toyota has said about 50 employees who live in the surrounding areas were injured. Two Toyota dealerships also shut due to the blasts.
As Toyota's largest production location in China, any sustained closure will affect its supply in the world's largest auto market. Tianjin FAW Toyota built about 440,000 Crown, Reiz, Corolla and Vios cars last year, almost half of the company's local vehicle production.
