The SS Bokhara was a British steamship built by Caird & Company of Greenock, Scotland, and launched on 18 December 1872. She was a passenger liner primarily operating routes to India and the Far East. The vessel was powered by a two-cylinder compound inverted steam engine, a typical propulsion system of the period. Originally registered in London, the Bokhara’s registry was transferred to Greenock in 1875. Constructed with a robust hull suitable for long voyages, the Bokhara's service history included a notable incident during her maiden voyage in 1873, when she stranded on an uncharted rock off Hong Kong but was refloated after repairs. In 1884, she was repurposed as a transport vessel for soldiers during the Mahdist War, demonstrating her versatility and importance in regional military logistics. On her final voyage, the Bokhara departed from Shanghai on 8 October 1892, carrying 173 passengers and crew, along with 1,500 tons of cargo including silk and tea. She was en route to Colombo and Bombay when a severe typhoon struck on 9 October. The storm, initially expected to pass south of Taiwan, recurred and shifted direction, driving the ship toward the Penghu Islands. On 10 October, the vessel was battered by violent waves that caused extensive damage, smashing deck structures and flooding the machinery spaces, which resulted in the loss of steam power. Despite attempts to restore steam, the ship ultimately struck a reef near Sand Island in the Pescadores on the night of 10 October 1892. The impact caused the Bokhara to sink rapidly within minutes. The disaster resulted in approximately 150 fatalities, including eleven members of the Hong Kong cricket team, and additional survivors were rescued by local fishermen and later transferred to ships like the HMS Porpoise. The sinking of the SS Bokhara remains a significant maritime tragedy of the late 19th century, highlighting the dangers of typhoons for steamship navigation in the region and marking a somber chapter in P&O’s maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.