Toyota, John Deere suspend work at China's Tianjin plants after blasts

PanARMENIAN.Net - Toyota and John Deere have said they will halt work at plants near China's port of Tianjin where huge explosions last week killed more than 100 people, BBC News reports.

Toyota's production lines will be closed until the end of Wednesday, 19, while John Deere suspended work indefinitely.

Evacuation advisories have been issued for the area around the blast site which is likely to have housed hundreds of tonnes of highly toxic chemicals.

Toyota said more than 50 of its staff were injured in the blasts.

At least 114 people died in the blasts, officials said on Sunday, and more than 700 have needed hospital treatment.

The explosions on Wednesday came during holidays for the Japanese carmaker, so there has been no impact on production so far at its three lines near the affected area, the car maker said in a statement.

"However, due to ongoing evacuation advisories, none of the three lines at Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Co Ltd" will be in operation between Aug 17 and 19, the Japanese car maker said.

U.S. company John Deere also suspended operations near Tianjin after some of the company's workers were injured and several buildings were damaged.

The maker of tractors and agricultural machinery said it was halting work indefinitely.

A small number of employees have been injured and windows and doors at some of the company's plant had been blown out, a spokesman said.

The full scope of the damage is not yet established as the evacuation has blocked staff from returning to assess the plant.

The John Deere plant in Tianjin primarily manufactures agricultural and construction equipment as well as engines for the Asian market.