Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant upside down and trapped on a reef as investigation continues
- Vessel not a danger to sea traffic in area, according to duty officer at Hainan Maritime Safety Administration
- No word on when investigation will be completed or whether authorities will help recover vessel
Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant has got stuck on a reef in the South China Sea where it capsized in June, but posed no threat to other vessels, according to the mainland Chinese maritime authorities investigating the incident.
A duty officer at the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration on Wednesday said the floating restaurant was still near the Paracel Islands, known as the Xisha Islands in China, where it had capsized in rough seas in June while en route to its new home in Cambodia.
“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,” said the duty officer.
“We cannot say for sure how much longer the investigation will take. It is being conducted in accordance with the relevant laws.”
Asked if the wrecked vessel could affect sea traffic, the officer said: “Presently there is no threat to the safety of navigation in the area.”
But the officer declined to discuss the condition of Jumbo or whether authorities would help recover the vessel.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong Marine Department said it had no further update on the case as mainland authorities were handling it.