THIRTEEN BODIES RECOVERED AND 50 MORE FEARED DEAD
9 June 2013 (©Daily Mail, London) - A tragedy was unfolding in the Indian Ocean today as searchers found 13 bodies, with another 50 people missing from a sunken asylumseeker boat.
The group had been sailing from Indonesia to Christmas Island, which is in Australian territory, when their leaky fishing vessel came to grief.
Its upturned hull, surrounded by debris, was found - before several of the bodies were located. While most of those on board were men, the passengers who had set out looking for a new life in Australia included women and children.
'This is another terrible tragedy -another terrible reminder how dangerous these journeys are,' said
What has been described as a 'debris field' -including lifejackets- was found
Australia's Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare.
He said in Canberra today that at least 55 people had been seen by a border patrol aircraft on the deck of the vessel last Wednesday, some 28 miles north west of Christmas Island. Whenever asylum seeker boats are located, naval vessels are sent out to escort them to Christmas Island where the passengers - mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka - are questioned about their backgrounds.
A navy ship, HMAS Warramunga was sent to the area after the boat's submerged hull was spotted by an Air Force plane some 65 miles north west of Christmas Island.
What has been described as a 'debris field' -including lifejackets- was found.
Whenever asylum seeker boats are located, naval vessels are sent out to escort them to Christmas Island.
On this occasion, the navy ship was unable to locate the boat and the search for more bodies was continuing throughout today.
Meanwhile a distress call has been received by a second boat some 110 miles north of Christmas Island. Aircraft and rescue vessels were heading to the area.