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Bombay Castle (South China Sea)

Shoal with a lighthouse in the South China Sea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bombay Castle (South China Sea)map
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Bombay Castle, also known in Vietnamese: Đá Ba Kè; Mandarin Chinese: 蓬勃堡; pinyin: Péngbó Bǎo;[1] Abad Santos Shoal (Filipino: Buhanginan ng Abad Santos, lit.'Sandbank of Abad Santos'), is a reef with a lighthouse in the Rifleman Bank of the southern Spratly Islands. It is occupied by Vietnam,[2] but also claimed by China (PRC) and Taiwan (ROC).

Quick Facts Disputed reef, Other names ...
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Map of the Spratly Islands showing Bombay Castle and Rifleman Bank
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Location and topography

Bombay Castle consists of a submerged reef located between 07°50′N 111°40′E and 07°56′N 111°42′E (between 7.833°N 111.667°E / 7.833; 111.667 and 7.933°N 111.700°E / 7.933; 111.700) at the northern end of Rifleman Bank.[3][4] At its shallowest point, it has a depth of 3 metres (9.8 ft) consisting of sand and coral.[5] It is 80 miles (130 km) east of Huyền Trân (Alexandra Bank) and nearly 80 miles (130 km) west of An Bang (Amboyna Cay).[6]

Bombay Castle has a 22.5 metres (74 ft) tall lighthouse on steel pilings that was built in 1995. The lighthouse is two storied, with accommodation for the lighthouse keepers and a dish antenna.[7][8]

The reef is named after the East Indiaman Bombay Castle.[9]

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DK1 rigs

In addition to the lighthouse (DK1/21), three other DK1 rigs ("economic, scientific and technological service stations") have been constructed by Vietnam in this area. The current (2015) cluster has 3 rigs in use.

  • DK1/4: Completed 16 June 1989, was the 2nd DK1 rig completed. It collapsed on the night of 4 December 1990 during a heavy storm.[10]
  • DK1/9: Completed 22 August 1993.[11]
  • DK1/20: Completed 13 August 1998.[12]
  • DK1/21: Completed 19 August 1998. This rig includes a lighthouse.[13]
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See also

References

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