China's second domestically built large cruise ship, named "Adora Flora City", completed its main hull assembly in Shanghai on Wednesday, marking a major leap forward in the country's shipbuilding capabilities.
The milestone, achieved in just nine months after the ship entered the dock of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd (SWS), comes more than two months earlier than China's first large cruise ship.
The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2026.
"The second large cruise ship has currently achieved 54 percent overall project progress, with construction progress reaching 43 percent. The milestone of the hull assembly marks the complete conclusion of the structural assembly work and the transition to interior decoration and debugging preparation," said Chen Gang, chief designer and director of the project.
The hull of the ship measures 341 meters in length and 37.2 meters in width. Decoration involves the installation of walls, floors and furniture across its 2,144 rooms, all slated for completion this year.
"In 2025, we expect the second cruise ship to fully complete all interior outfitting work, with comprehensive system testing scheduled to begin in August. During the design and construction of the second ship, we have been focusing on improving construction efficiency. At the start of the project, we set the goal of carrying out research on construction processes and methods to improve efficiency. The aim is to reduce total construction hours by 20 percent and overall construction costs by 15 percent," said Chen.
China's first domestically-built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, left a port in Shanghai on January 1, 2024 for its commercial maiden voyage, opening up a new chapter for the country's shipbuilding and cruise industries.
The Adora Magic City is 323.6 meters in length, has a gross weight of 135,500 tonnes and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers across a total of 2,125 guest rooms.
China's second homemade cruise ship completes hull assembly
China's second homemade cruise ship completes hull assembly
The death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon has risen to 634, including 91 children and 47 women, while 1,586 people have been wounded, Lebanese Health Minister Rakan Nasreddine said at a televised press briefing on Wednesday.
According to Nasreddine, the ongoing hostilities have also severely affected the health sector. He reported 22 attacks on medical facilities and services, including incidents targeting Red Cross ambulances.
The minister added that 15 health workers have been killed and 45 others wounded since the escalation began.
Meanwhile, the conflict has displaced 816,000 Lebanese, according to figures announced by Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed at the same press briefing.
Sayed said that 816,000 people have registered on the ministry's relief platform as displaced. Of them, about 126,000 people are currently sheltering in 589 designated centers across the country.
Sayed added that the government is working on the ground to guide displaced families to available centers and arrange transportation to ensure they reach safe locations.
At least 17 people were injured in Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple areas in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon's Health Ministry reported Wednesday.
In retaliation, Hezbollah started the "Al-Asf Al-Ma'koul" operations, launching rockets intensively toward northern Israel, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
The group said it launched rocket salvos at multiple Israeli military sites, including the Northern Command headquarters at the Dado base, the Ein Zeitim base, and targets near Safed, Kiryat Shmona, Nahariyya, Haifa, and Lake Tiberias.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it began a "large-scale attack wave of strikes" on Beirut's southern suburb on Wednesday night in response to Hezbollah's rocket launches.
On March 2, Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire was declared on Nov 27, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army launched what it described as an "offensive military campaign" against Hezbollah, carrying out intense airstrikes on multiple Lebanese areas and border ground incursions.
Death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon rises to 634
