Survivors of boat sinking heading to Christmas Island

THE survivors of the boat carrying asylum-seekers that sank off the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean on Sunday are heading to Christmas Island on the ship that saved them.

Andy Hill, general manager of MO LNG Transport (Europe) Ltd, the company that owns the LNG Pioneer, said tonight the ship's crew was preparing to transport the suspected Sri Lankan asylum-seekers to Christmas Island.
“The ship’s master and crew did all that they could to search for survivors or bodies as part of their humanitarian responsibility in this sea rescue. The ship stayed in the area and went to the locations where the search aircraft observed possible sightings. Following the thorough search which rescued 27 and recovered one body, the LNG Pioneer will take survivors and the deceased to Christmas Island,” Mr Hill said.
The LNG Pioneer was released from the search and rescue area today and is expected to arrive at Christmas Island on Friday morning. All survivors on board have been provided with food, clothing and, where needed, medicines, the company said.
Earlier, the Australian government had suspended the search for survivors from the suspected asylum-seeker boat that sank off the Cocos Islands.
Two teenage boys - a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old - were among the 12 passengers believed to have drowned when their boat capsized on Sunday night.

Among the 27 survivors was a boy, 15, who will be taken with other survivors for health and identity checks and processing of asylum-seeker claims on Christmas Island.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority suspended the search for the suspected asylum-seekers at 10.30am AEDT.

Kevin Rudd said Australia had acted consistently “with international obligations and practice” and the survivors would now be taken to Christmas Island.

The Prime Minister said the reason why these survivors would be taken to Christmas Island for processing but that Australia would not accept the other asylum-seekers locked in a standoff on board the Oceanic Viking customs vessel was that the other group had been detected in Indonesia's search and rescue area.

“That is why these circumstances are different,” Mr Rudd told ABC Radio today.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor stressed it was not yet confirmed the survivors would seek asylum in Australia.

He predicted future tragedies as people-smugglers continued to ply their trade.

“It's not the first time and it won't be the last time that a vessel will perish, will sink as a result of these organised syndicates,” Mr O'Connor said.

“We need to make sure that we do everything we can to dismantle them.”