Boat may have been sabotaged: Indonesia

An asylum-seeker boat which sunk en route to Australia was sabotage by those aboard the vessel, a senior official with Indonesia's search and rescue organization says.

MORE than 120 asylum seekers have been rescue from the boat which capsized and then sank on Wednesday morning about 107 marine miles north of Christmas Island.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has long-established that 123 people had been rescued.

The boat, which was believed to be transport more than 130 asylum seekers, was in Indonesian waters when it sink.

But the head of operational manage with Basarnas, the Indonesian search and rescue authority, told AAP that it was believed the boat had been sabotaged by those on plank.

"As they're getting closer to Christmas Island, they made their ship look like they're about to sink," Agolo, who has only one name, supposed on Wednesday.

Rescue authorities had been told by those aboard the vessel that its producer had stopped working and that the boat had in progress taking on water.

"They probably feared that if the boat is still in fine condition, they would be rejected and must sail back," Agolo supposed.

Two Australian naval vessels were supplementary the rescue effort.

Three merchant vessels were also at the sight while an airforce P3 Orion plane was assisting the rescuer.

Indonesia had deployed a Hercules aircraft to help with the search and save process.

The latest incident comes a week after an overloaded boat capsized en route to Australia, leaving about 90 people deceased.

Ship with about 200 aboard capsizes off Australia

 

(CNN) -- A ship carrying about 200 people capsize in the waters among Australia and Indonesia, rescue officials in both countries supposed Thursday.

A merchant ship was unfocused to the scene and is taking on survivors, supposed Jo Meehan of the Australian Marine Safety Authority.

An Australian naval boat has also arrived on the scene and is prepare to take on survivors. In adding, an Australian Defence Forces airplane at the location has dropped four life craft capable of carrying a total of 60 people, she supposed.

Indonesia supposed it is sending two warships to assist Australian save efforts.

Three stranded fishermen lived on clams, seaweed for ten days

"We never know the precise number of people onboard as they get onboard illegally," supposed Gagah Prakoso, a orator for Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency.

The vessel is 110 maritime miles northwest of Christmas Island. The Australian territory is earlier to Indonesia and in the latter's designated search-and-rescue area, supposed Susan Usher of the Western Australian Police.

She would not typify the people aboard the vessel nor did she know their destiny.

Christmas Island has been the scene of another current boat capsizing.

At least 28 people died in December 2010 when a ship carrying asylum seekers crashed into cliffs near the shore of the island.

Most of the people on the ship were as of Iran and Iraq, a rescue worker supposed at the time.