Factory Blast May Disrupt Japan Auto Production

An explosion and fire at a Nippon Shokubai Co. chemical factory in western Japan last weekend could disrupt domestic auto production, The Nikkei reports.

A firefighter was killed and 34 others were injured on Saturday after a blast in several of the company's acrylic acid storage tanks in the city of Himeji. Nippon Shokubai says it does not know how long the facility will remain closed.

The Himeji plant accounts for about half Japan's output of acrylic ester, a raw material used in auto paint. Nippon Shokubai supplies acrylic ester to Kansai Paint and Nippon Paint, which together produce more than 90% of the automotive coatings used by carmakers in Japan.

Nippon Paint tells the Nikkei it may be unable to meet supply demands by November.