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Toyota plant flooded, production halted

Officials expect operations to resume by the end of September

Samaa Web Desk Jul 29, 2022

<p>All the vehicles that incurred flood damage were scrapped and crushed so that no potentially compromised Toyotas could go into the retail chain. PHOTO: MISA (Motor Industry Staff Association)</p> — All the vehicles that incurred flood damage were scrapped and crushed so that no potentially compromised Toyotas could go into the retail chain. PHOTO: MISA (Motor Industry Staff Association)

Production at a Toyota vehicle manufacturing plant remains halted after it was flooded. Officials, though, expect operations to resume by the end of September.

According to a report by News24, the Toyota car manufacturing plant located south of Durban, South Africa, had been flooded.

Located in KwaZulu-Natal, the plant was hit by heavy floods in the area in April. Operations at the plant were suspended on April 12.

It forced the company to scrap around 12% of the 4,596 units at the plant which had been damaged by the floods. The company even crushed them so that they could not enter the retail chain.

The company is now working to bring the plant back online in an incremental manner.

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) CEO Andrew Kirby told News24 that the plant’s Catalytic Converter Exhaust Export facility had resumed operations on May 9, the Hino assembly line on May 24, and the upscale Hilux and Fortuner lines on July 21. Production on these lines has been staggered to balance demand and plant functionality.

It has yet to resume production for Toyota Cross.

Toyota has also decided to fortify the plant against floods to prevent a repeat of the incident.

Earlier this month, Toyota in Pakistan had announced plans to shut down its plant for at least two weeks in August as it faces a clampdown from the government on the import of completely built units and completely knocked down units.