Jumbo floating restaurant, a once famed however financially struggling Hong Kong tourist attraction, sank in the South China Sea after being towed away from the city, its parent company has stated.
It capsized yesterday near the Paracel Islands after it "encountered adverse conditions" and began to take on water, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises introduced in a statement.
"The water depth on the scene is over 1,000 meters, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works," it added.
The company stated it was "very saddened by the incident" but that no crew members were injured.
It said marine engineers have been hired to inspect the floating restaurant and install hoardings at the vessel before the trip, and that "all relevant approvals" had been obtained.
The restaurant closed in March 2020, citing the Covid-19 pandemic as the final straw after almost a decade of economic woes.