A luxury cruise ship valued at £22 million has capsized in a Chinese port during Typhoon Bavi, with authorities launching an investigation into the incident. The Mingzhu Qihao, also known as Pearl No. 7, measuring 158 metres long and 30 metres wide, listed and tilted over at Yangfushan Puxi berth in Wenzhou shortly after 8pm on Tuesday.
No one was on board the hotel-style vessel, which lacks a motor, when it became unstable during unusually high tides and heavy rain battering the dock area. Emergency services arrived within minutes to stabilise the ship, and no casualties have been reported, according to a staff worker who spoke to local media.
Investigation Launched into Cause of Capsizing
A spokesman for Wenzhou Mingzhu Cruise Company stated: "The idle pontoon ship 'Mingzhu Qihao', which was moored at the Ou River Road Yangfushan Puxi platform, tilted during a spring tide flood. We immediately activated the contingency plan and relevant departments quickly arrived to handle the situation." He added: "The exact cause is under further investigation."
Deer District Emergency Management officials confirmed the ship, built in 2012, was not in operation and had no crew or passengers aboard at the time. The vessel has sat largely unused for 14 years after a string of setbacks, including failed plans to turn it into a five-star floating hotel with restaurants and luxury suites.
Ship's Troubled History
Earlier attempts to moor the Mingzhu Qihao elsewhere sparked complaints from locals over blocked views, while technical and funding issues repeatedly delayed any official launch. In 2012, the vessel made headlines when it got wedged under China's Wenzhou Bridge after the crew discovered the towering floating hotel was too tall to pass underneath.
The dramatic tilt has brought fresh attention to the vessel's troubled history and raised questions about its long-term future at the dock. The ship remains idle at its current berth on the Ou River as investigations continue.
