The government on Tuesday asked the owners of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant for a report on how the vessel came to capsize last Saturday, as it was being towed in the South China Sea.

The Marine Department said it had cleared the iconic restaurant to leave Hong Kong for Cambodia on June 14, after the owner had hired surveyors to make sure it was sea-worthy.

The department said maritime traffic within Hong Kong waters had been managed accordingly. It also said it hadn't been informed of the capsizing before the owners, Aberdeen Restaurant Enterprises, announced the news on Monday.

Once a popular tourist destination in Aberdeen harbour, the 46-year-old restaurant suspended operations in March 2020 after suffering years of losses.

It was donated to Ocean Park but the amusement park later said it could not find a third-party operator to run the restaurant.

The company had said the vessel was being sent away for maintenance and storage. It had initially refused to reveal where the Jumbo was bound for.