Australia helps Indonesia after boat tragedy

Updated: 20:44, Monday, 19 December 2011

Indonesia has requested help from Australian police to investigate people-smugglers, after Saturday's sinking of an overloaded boat carrying asylum-seekers.

Indonesia is said to have requested help from Australian police to investigate people-smugglers, after Saturday's sinking of an overloaded boat carrying asylum-seekers.

Australia's Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said the smugglers had showed a "callous disregard for human life".

More than 200 asylum seekers are feared dead after the boat sank in stormy seas en route to Australia.

The fibreglass vessel had a capacity of 100 but was carrying about 250 migrants, mostly Afghans and Iranians, when it sank on Saturday, 40 nautical miles off eastern Java.

The navy rescued 33 people from the shark-infested waters on Saturday, but Indonesian rescuers are holding out little hope of finding any more survivors.

Survivors interviewed by AFP news agency said they were heading to Australia's remote Christmas Island when their boat was hit by a storm and capsized.

The migrants were said to include Pakistanis, Iraqis, Turks and Saudis.

They said they had paid agents between $2,500 and $5,000 to seek asylum in Australia and claimed their UN documentation papers were lost at sea.

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