The iconic Jumbo restaurant of Hong Kong – a famous floating eatery for nearly 50 years – capsized and sank in the South China Sea days after being towed from its accustomed mooring in the harbour.
The floating restaurant, which had had financial difficulties since closing in March 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, was on its way to an undisclosed location, according to the BBC.
Owners Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises said the restaurant went down near the Paracel Islands after encountering ‘adverse conditions’.
‘The water depth at the scene is over 1 000 metres, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works,’ the company said.
More than 3 million guests are believed to have eaten its Cantonese cuisine over the years, including the Queen, Tom Cruise and Richard Branson.
The BBC reported that the restaurant featured in several films – including a Bond movie – but that the pandemic had dealt the business a fatal blow.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/china-hong-kong-restaurant-jumbo-1034797/]