A floating restaurant called 'Silver Whale' in St Petersburg, Russia has toppled over and sunk in the icy waters of the Neva River.

Russian officials reported that the restaurant sank at around 7:30 am due to damage caused by the river's icy conditions.

The local transport office is currently investigating whether health and safety regulations for the unused vessel were followed.

The boat's owners initially planned to moor it on the Moskva River in Moscow, but the project was not approved, leading to its relocation to St Petersburg in 2018.

The building was designed in Moscow in 2001, but for the entire time of its existence the restaurant has not started work.

The restaurant never opened, and in September 2022, it was put up for sale for approximately £372,000 or 35 million rubles.

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