Hong Kong's distinctive Jumbo Floating Restaurant has had a storied life in the decades after it was established by the smuggler Stanley Ho Hung-sun in 1976.
The 80 metre long restaurant, designed like a Chinese imperial palace, hosted guests including Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Cruise before closing in 2020 as the city reeled from the Covid epidemic.
It seems that it has not lost the power to grab headlines in the past. Hongkongers bid for the restaurant farewell last week as it was towed out of Aberdeen harbour. Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises ARE's owners did not disclose its destination, though Hong Kong's marine department later said it was due to be taken to a shipyard in Cambodia.
The vessel had encountered adverse weather conditions when passing the Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands, on Monday, according to ARE. The water depth at the scene is over 1,000 metres, making it extremely difficult to carry out salvage works, the company said in comments that appeared to suggest the vessel had sunk.
The ARE said on Thursday that the vessel and accompanying tugboat were still in waters near the islands, and reports that the boat was sunk were inaccurate. Rescue work, according to ARE s PR representatives on Friday, would be extremely difficult due to the depth of the water.
On Thursday night, Hong Kong s Marine Department issued a statement saying it had only learned of the incident from media reports and had immediately requested a report from the company.
ARE could have breached the city's regulations if the owner, agent or captain did not report a sinking within 24 hours, according to officials. Failure to give a reasonable explanation on time could result in a fine of HK $10,000 1,040.
The Guardian contacted ARE for a response. A spokesman told CNN on Friday that ARE had always used the term capsize to describe the incident and had never claimed that the vessel had sunk.
Before the vessel s departure, the company said it had been inspected by marine engineers and hoardings had been installed, and all relevant approvals had been obtained.
The maintenance fees could cost millions a year, and about a dozen businesses and organisations refused to take over the restaurant, according to ARE last month, when it was not profitable since 2013 and that the business had not been profitable.
A lack of maintenance caused a 30 metre kitchen barge connected to the restaurant to sink earlier this month.