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Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant is stuck upside down on a coral reef after capsizing earlier this summer

Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert   

Hong Kong's iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant is stuck upside down on a coral reef after capsizing earlier this summer
International2 min read
  • Hong Kong's Jumbo Floating Restaurant is now belly up and stuck on a coral reef, South China Morning Post reported.
  • The iconic tourist attraction began to sink earlier this year after capsizing in the South China Sea.

Hong Kong's once-iconic tourist destination, the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, is now belly up and stuck on a coral reef with no one to rescue it.

"We are still looking into the incident. The vessel capsized and keeled over, and was trapped on a reef off Sansha [in Hainan]. As far as I know, this is the latest situation," A Hainan Maritime Safety Administration duty officer said Wednesday, the South China Morning Post reported.

"We cannot say for sure how much longer the investigation will take. It is being conducted in accordance with the relevant laws."

The officer also noted, "there is no threat to the safety of navigation in the area," but declined to further discuss the status of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

The pandemic forced the restaurant to halt operations in 2020, and, after suffering more than $12.4 million in losses, the floating eatery ultimately closed its doors for good.

Tugboats removed the restaurant from its floating location on the south side of Hong Kong Island in June.

Once it was removed from the shoreline, the vessel began capsizing earlier this year when it took on water following a typhoon.

"Water soon entered before it began to tip," the company said in a statement, adding that it was "saddened by this accident," per AFP.

For 46 years the Jumbo Floating Restaurant drew international attention as the largest floating restaurant in the world, capable of seating 2,300 diners.

While in service, the eatery astonished celebrities and tourists alike with its selection of more than 60 types of fresh seafood for their meals, including crabs, lobster, and a variety of fish.

It is unclear if authorities intend to rescue to famous dining room from its current watery resting place.


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