Boat with 200 asylum seekers capsizes off Australia
June 21st, 2012 - 10:07 pm ICT by IANSMelbourne, June 21 (IANS) A boat carrying around 200 asylum seekers capsized Thursday in Indonesian waters off Australia’s Christmas Island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.
The boat capsized about 120 nautical miles (around 220 km) north of Christmas Island. Since the tragedy took place within Indonesian waters, the Indonesian navy is leading rescue efforts, Xinhua quoted the AMSA as saying.
West Australian Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said a large number of asylum seekers may have drowned.
The distressed vessel was sighted by Australia’s Border Protection Command Dash-8 surveillance aircraft which monitors the vast area of the Indian Ocean.
Up to 75 asylum seekers were reportedly dead and 40 others are struggling to survive.
Australia’s Border and Customs department told Xinhua that at the time of initial contact, the vessel was upside down, and pilots estimated that there were 40 people clinging to the hull and an unknown number of people in the water.
Speaking from Rio de Janeiro where she is attending the G20 summit, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said it was a very distressing and tragic incident.
“We don’t know the full details yet, but clearly we have lost a number of lives in a very dangerous journey from Indonesia to Australia.”
In February, eight asylum seekers drowned off Malaysia during a suspected attempt to reach Australia. In December 2010, at least 50 people died after a boat carrying asylum seekers hit rocks off Christmas Island.
- Australia intercepts boats carrying more than 300 asylum seekers - May 07, 2012
- 232 Sri Lankans held while illegally migrating - Jul 16, 2012
- Australia says boat carrying 67 asylum seekers is missing - Aug 15, 2012
- Australian navy intercepts 119 asylum seekers - Jan 08, 2012
- Seven kids among dead in Australia boat capsize (Lead) - Dec 16, 2010
- Kids cry for help as 27 die in Australia boat capsize (Second Lead) - Dec 15, 2010
- Sri Lanka navy arrests 54 Australia-bound asylum seekers - Sep 06, 2012
- 37 Pakistanis among dead in Indonesia boat accident - Dec 28, 2011
- Indonesia rescues 120 asylum seekers who refuse to disembark - Apr 10, 2012
- 88 bodies retrieved after Indonesia boat disaster - Dec 22, 2011
- Australian Government defers processing of Sri Lankan, Afghan asylum claims - Apr 09, 2010
- 25 killed as tropical storm hits Philippines - Jul 27, 2011
- Hundreds missing after migrant boat sinks near Italian island, 50 rescued - Apr 06, 2011
- Sri Lankan Navy arrests Australia-bound asylum seekers - Aug 20, 2012
- 150 killed in Mediterranean boat capsize: UN - Jun 04, 2011
Tags: amsa, asylum seekers, australia melbourne, australian maritime safety authority, australian police, australian prime minister, border protection, customs department, dangerous journey, dash 8, distressed vessel, g20 summit, indonesian waters, julia gillard, maritime safety authority, o callaghan, rescue efforts, surveillance aircraft, tragic incident, xinhua