This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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200 asylum seekers were believed to be on a boat that has capsized about 120 nautical miles north of Christmas Island this afternoon. Rescuers were racing to save the asylum seekers as they have seen the survivors in the water with merchant ships. It was reported that the large number of asylum seekers were believed to be mainly from Sri Lanka.
The rescue effort for the capsized boat has been led by the Indonesian authorities. The suffering boat was spotted on Thursday by an Australian Customs and Border Protection observation aircraft about 3 pm (AEST). The Customs said in a statement, “It is believed up to 200 people could be on board, although this detail has not yet been confirmed.”
It also said that the Indonesia’s BASARNAS was coordinating the search in concurrence with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). A Defence aircraft equipped with life rafts, a Customs surveillance aircraft and two Armidale class patrol boats, HMAS Larrakia and Wollongong were helping with the rescue.
Two Indonesian vessels with Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency were also on their way to the site which was confirmed by a spokesman Gagah Prakoso. He said, “At the moment, we’re waiting for them to report back.” He said that it was not decided yet that the survivors would be taken to Australia or returned to Indonesia. “We just have to get them first. Then we can talk about whether they will be taken to Indonesia or Australia,” he added.
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