The original destination of the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, sinking in the South China Sea on Monday night, was Cambodia, the Marine Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said on Tuesday, noting that it has demanded the boat owner to hand in a report and has launched a follow-up investigation.

The marine department said it did not receive any notification from its parent company before it released the public statement about the sinking of the boat on Monday night.

According to the authorities, the boat owner applied for an authorization for the boat to be towed away from Hong Kong last Monday and relocate it to Cambodia.

Before the application was filed, the relevant inspection on the boat was conducted by accredited institutions to ensure the relocation to its destination was suitable.

The marine authority issued the authorization after the inspection and allow the boat to be towed away from the berth in Hong Kong waters on June 14.

When the boat was being towed away, the marine authority sent ships to the scene to coordinate sea traffic and guarantee the smooth passage of the boat through Hong Kong waters. Nothing abnormal was identified during the process and the marine department did not continue to monitor the navigation of the boat when it left Hong Kong.

Usually, no personnel is on the boat that is towed, according to the marine department. The tugboat will monitor the ship it tows and take appropriate actions when necessary. In terms of what measures were taken to tow the boat, they were decided by the owner who will also have to deal with the salvage.

Global Times