Tanker stands by as vessel takes on water

Tanker stands by as vessel takes on water

AN Indonesian search-and-rescue launch was en route to rescue about 100 asylum-seekers from a smuggling boat in distress off southwest Java.

The rescue vessel was expected to reach the fishing boat, adrift and leaking in medium seas in the southern Sunda Strait, late last night.

An oil tanker, Baltic Galaxy, stood by the distressed boat most of yesterday, but an official from Basarnas, the Indonesian search-and-rescue agency, said the Geelong-bound vessel was too large to safely evacuate the passengers.

Baltic Galaxy came to the emergency scene, then about 25 nautical miles off the Java coast, after an alert was issued by Australian Maritime Safety Authority yesterday morning.

The alert was raised after the fishing boat initially continued moving south towards Christmas Island, although it was taking water and AMSA had warned its crew to turn back to land.

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However, the Indonesian agency said yesterday afternoon there was no immediate concern for the passengers’ safety.

The passengers and crew were expected to be landed at Merak in Java early today and the asylum-seekers taken into Immigration Department custody.

The large volume of people-smuggling traffic between Java and Christmas Island has resulted in several fatal sinkings this year and numerous close shaves.

A fishing boat carrying about 209 passengers, mostly Sri Lankans and Iranians, sank close to the West Java coast a week ago with 20 known fatalities. Indonesian police have arrested four people accused of low-level roles in that operation.

The latest search-and-rescue effort came as the 19th boat to be intercepted by Australian authorities since Kevin Rudd announced his Papua New Guinea Solution was picked up north-west of the Ashmore Islands.

The vessel, believed to be carrying 70 passengers and five crew, will now be subject to Labor’s regional resettlement agreement.

Since the Prime Minister claimed his deal with his PNG counterpart Peter O’Neill would guarantee asylum-seekers who arrive by boat no chance of being resettled in Australia, 1542 asylum-seekers have reached Australian waters.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/