SYDNEY, Australia - An urgent search and rescue mission was under way Monday for people aboard a boat that sank in open seas far off the Australia.
About two dozen people were believed to be missing and some 15 others were rescued after their boat went down near the Cocos Islands, sparsely-populated atolls about 1,600 miles (2,000 kilometres) northwest of the Australian coast and about 800 miles (1,300 kilometres) south of Indonesia.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority received distress signals on Sunday from a boat believed to be carrying about 40 people in the remote area, and the nearest ships were asked to respond, spokeswoman Rhianne Robson told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
The merchant ship LNG Pioneer arrived in the area late Sunday and deployed life rafts and began plucking people from the water, she said.
An Australian military plane was on its way to the area to search for more survivors.
The origin of the sunken boat were not immediately known. Robson said investigations would examine whether those on board were asylum seekers trying to reach Australia.
Some 35 boats carrying about 1,770 asylum seekers have arrived in Australia waters this year, mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka.
Rescue under way after boat sinks far off Australian coast; 25 missing
- Published on November 2, 2009
- Published on December 31, 2009
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The Associated Press ~ staff The News
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