Twenty-seven asylum-seekers dead in Australian shipwreck
At least 27 asylum seekers, including children, were found dead on Wednesday after their boat smashed into a rock off the Australian territory Christmas Island. Rescue efforts were hampered by heavy seas. There were reportedly 50 people on board the ship.
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Helpless residents watched with dread as the waters were too rough to assist those dashed against the rocks.
"There were children in the water. There was one very small child in a life jacket floating face down for a very long time... clearly dead," local shop owner Simon Prince told Sky News.
Naval vessels managed to rescue some from the water, but authorities were not yet able to confirm the number of dead, missing or those who survived the early morning emergency.
According to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, 36 were injured, including some critically.
Australia’s acting prime minister Wayne Swan told journalists that a "tragic incident" involving an illegal boat had occurred in the Indian Ocean off Christmas Island.
TV footage showed a small vessel floundering in heavy seas before being dashed against the rock. Witnesses say the boat was crowded with dozens of people.
Christmas Island, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, hosts Australia’s main illegal immigration detention centre.
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