Hong Kong’s iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant has capsized in the South China Sea less than a week after being towed away from the city, its parent company said. The restaurant ran into “adverse conditions” on Saturday as it passed through the well-known Xisha Islands. as the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea, and water entered the ship and began to tilt, according to Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Ltd.
The company said no one was injured, but efforts to save the ship failed and it capsized on Sunday.
Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant has been dumped in the South China Sea. (AP)
“Because the depth of the water at the scene exceeds 1,000 meters, it is very difficult to carry out the rescue works,” he said in a statement.
He said the company “is very sad about this accident”.
The nearly 80m-long Jumbo Floating Restaurant had been a landmark in Hong Kong for more than four decades, serving Cantonese cuisine to more than three million guests, including Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Cruise.
No one was injured in the incident. (AP)
It closed in 2020 due to the pandemic and laid off all its staff. Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said the restaurant became a financial burden to its shareholders, with millions of Hong Kong dollars spent on its inspection and maintenance even though it was not in operation.
The restaurant was towed last Tuesday. The company said it planned to move it to a lower-cost location where maintenance could be done.
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He said that before its departure, the ship had been thoroughly inspected by marine engineers and signs were installed and all relevant approvals were obtained.
“The company is now receiving more details of the accident from the trailer company,” the statement said.