At least 27 bodies recovered and 42 survivors confirmed in Christmas Island boat tragedy

news.com.au ^ | 15th December 2010

[naturalman1975]

RECOVERY efforts are continuing as authorities confirm 27 bodies have been recovered after a boat crash at Christmas Island.

In a statement this evening the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service confirmed at least 27 people are dead.

"As at 6pm (AEDT), 41 persons have been recovered from the water, and another person made it to the shore," the statement said.

"Tragically, initial reports are that 27 bodies have also been recovered at this stage.

"The rescue is being conducted in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions.

[naturalman1975]

The casualties are 'asylum seekers', 'refugees'. They have no right to come to Australia, but this a tragedy. And it's one that can be laid at the feet of the current Australian government. Being weak on border protection is what encourages these people to risk their lives to come here. When the Howard government made it clear that you could not jump the queue - that 'asylum seekers' would be processed offshore, the boats stopped coming. The Gillard government changes the policy and the boats start coming.

And people die.

And Navy personnel, customs officers, border protection officers, and ordinary residents of Christmas Island have to go out there and risk their lives as well to try and save these people.

There's blood on the hands of the Gillard Labor government - it's the semi-elected government of my nation and it shames us.

[Lancey Howard]

Leftists are like locusts - they chew up everything in sight and then move on to destroy something else.

[naturalman1975]

[naturalman1975]

Video footage from before and after the wreck

[BigCinBigD]

Sharks gotta eat to.

[dennisw]

All these people are in thrall to a false prophet with a bloodier track record than the Aztecs. You Australians won’t change them, they will change you

[dennisw]

Gillard is an FemLib idiot. I was surprised to hear your KRudd on the radio. Turns out he is your foreign minister. Down but not out. Oh he knows Chinese so he must be a major diplomatic asset. Do you know what going native means?

[Haiku Guy]

When I was young, I investigated trying to emigrate to Australia. I was educated, skilled, experienced, with some money in my pocket and in my mid-20s. But even so, I could not meet the strict immigration standards of Australia because I did not have experience in the specific fields they needed. I abandoned my efforts, but respected that the Australians had a rational policy that reflected their nation's interests.

Now I see that they are taking anybody who manages to reach their shore. Get a brain, Morans!

[FroggyTheGremlim]

I have yet to hear where these people came from, where they are seeking asylum from and why?

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[odds]

There is blood on the hands of the Indonesian Govt just as much, if not more. The people smugglers are very often Indonesians - they collect & load the ‘refugees/asylum seekers’ onto the boats in Indonesia.

I suspect this tragedy may be a lesson to future ‘refugees’, ‘asylum seekers’ - i.e. the Australian govt/navy/etc.. will not necessarily be there to save you ...

However, what saddens me is the desperation of many of these ‘refugee/asylum seekers’. Apparently they pay a hefty sum to Indonesian people smugglers for the uncertain & perilous journey in order to reach what many of them often envision as freedom.

[Slip18]

Ping.

[BunnySlippers]

I had heard they are from Iraq.

[odds]

>>”I had heard they are from Iraq.<<

According to MSM here in Australia, they were mostly Iraqis, Iranians, Kurdish & a few Afghanis. Apparently, as so far reported, some 90 ‘refugees/asylum seekers’ were on board the mentioned boat. Reportedly some 49 people have been confirmed dead - others are so far unaccounted for. Those who navigated the boat & brought them to Australian waters were/are Indonesians.

The mentioned have mostly been noted, over the last 10 years, as being amongst key nationalities (highest %) who seek to illegally enter Australia by boat.