Torrential rainfall in the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa has claimed the lives of hundreds of people and led to millions of dollars worth of property destruction. Toyota’s Prospecton plant has been affected, with the carmaker’s local subsidiary having to suspend production after flooding damaged the facility last week.
The factory, which produces the Hilux and Corolla Cross, among other vehicles, currently employs more than 7,000 people. Judging by the pictures below, it will be quite long before things return to normal. Countless examples of the best-selling Hilux have been destroyed, with brand new models sitting up to their door sills in water.
Industry experts fear the unprecedented rainfall will only exacerbate supply shortages brought on by the pandemic, the subsequent chip crisis, and, most recently, the invasion of Ukraine. The country’s Motor Industry Staff Association’s CEO, Martle Keyter, said this could not have happened at a worse time.
