Toyota extends halt in Tianjin operations through Wednesday

By Minami Funakoshi

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp said on Saturday its operations near the Chinese port of Tianjin will remain shut at least through Wednesday due to safety concerns as fires continue to break out at the site of last week's deadly chemical explosions.

"We will only restart operations when we have been able to confirm the safety of our facilities and their surroundings, and when our employees feel that they can once again go to work in a safe environment," the company said in an email.

Toyota also said about 4,700 Toyota and Lexus vehicles were damaged by the Tianjin disaster. It will not sell these cars, which have dents and broken windows, it said.

The move to prolong the closure comes as continuing safety hazards cast doubts on when operations can resume in the area.

Toyota's Tianjin operations were originally set to be closed through Wednesday last week but that was then extended through Saturday. The automaker operates two assembly lines near the Tianjin port and another line in a different part of the city.

Toyota also said Sichuan FAS Toyota Motor Co Ltd, a joint venture, began operating its Changchun plant on Saturday as planned to make up for lost output. The plant in northeast China was closed through Friday because damages at the port had delayed custom clearance of parts shipped from Japan.

(Editing by David Clarke)