Toyota Czech production halted after supplier fire causes parts shortage

PRAGUE -- Toyota has halted production at its Czech factory due to a parts shortage caused by a fire at a local supplier.

"We had to stop production yesterday evening. This will of course have an effect on our production plan. It is not clear how long the outage will last," Toyota spokesman Tomas Paroubek said on Tuesday.

According to local media, the plastics supplier Novares CZ Zebrak has been unable to deliver parts after its production and storage facilities in Zebrak, in the Beroun region, were destroyed by a large fire last week.

Toyota's plant in Kolin, about 37 miles east of Prague, produces the Aygo X mini crossover and the Yaris small hatchback.

The outage is the second this year at the plant which builds 1,000 cars a day after a break in February.

Last year, production at the factory rose by 35 percent to 202,255 cars.