A boat carrying 105 asylum seekers today capsized north of the Australian territory of Christmas Island.
The boat sank about 220 kilometres north of Christmas Island, where Australia operates a detention camp for asylum seekers.
According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman, Navy vessel “is now conducting a rescue operation with support from a Customs Dash-8 aircraft’’.
Another Navy boat has been tasked and a merchant vessel is due to arrive “shortly’’.
This is the first reported boat accident in Australian waters since Labor announced its new asylum seeker policy in late July.