Jaguar Land Rover reveals it may have lost nearly 6,000 vehicles in Chinese blasts

ALMOST 6,000 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles could have been damaged or destroyed in the Tianjin explosions in China, the company has confirmed.

The blast, which happened on August 12, has so far claimed the lives of 114 people.

In response to stories in India – home to parent company Tata Motors – and China, the company issued a statement clarifying what it believed had happened.

The company has also used the statement to express its condolences to the relatives and friends of those for have lost loved ones in the explosions.

“Our thoughts are with them as well as with all those who were injured in this tragic event,” it said.
 
“Tianjin Port is one of three major locations in China through which Jaguar Land Rover imports vehicles.  At the time of the explosion, approximately 5,800 vehicles that had recently been shipped to China were stored at various locations in Tianjin.  

“However, access to facilities near the site of the explosion remains restricted and so whilst we believe many of these vehicles may have been damaged, we are presently unable to quantify the numbers of units affected.”

It said it would continue to monitor the situation and work to minimise the impact of the situation on its customers and the business.

The news had a major impact on the Tata Motors share price, with the company down 3% on the Mumbai exchange.

It has been a tough year for the JLR in terms of accidents.

Back in January the company lost millions of pounds when hundreds of its vehicles were damaged when the container ship Hoegh Osaka ran aground and listed in the Solent.

The company revealed that it had 1,200 vehicles on board the ship at the time, with the cargo ultimately destined for the Middle East.