Iconic Hong Kong restaurant capsizes at sea

Hong Kong’s iconic Jumbo Floating Restaurant has capsized in the South China Sea less than a week after it was towed away from the city. The restaurant encountered “adverse conditions” as it was passing the Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea, and water entered the vessel and it began to tip, according to Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises Ltd.

The company said no one was injured, but the efforts to save the vessel failed and it capsized on Sunday. The Jumbo Floating Restaurant, almost 80 meters in length, had been a landmark in Hong Kong for over four decades, serving Cantonese cuisine to over 3 million guests including Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Cruise. It closed in 2020 due to the pandemic and laid off all its staff. The company said it planned to move it to a lower-cost site where maintenance could be carried out.