Three dead after explosion on refugee ship
Australian PM Kevin Rudd's immigration policy has come under fire after an explosion on a refugee ship left three people dead
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Thursday, 16, Apr 2009 11:39
Three people died and many more were injured after asylum seekers reportedly set alight their boat after being intercepted off the coast of Western Australia.
The Australian navy was waiting to escort the fishing boat to an immigration processing centre on Christmas Island when the explosion occurred early Thursday morning (just before midnight BST).
The wooden boat sank almost immediately.
Hospitals in Darwin, Broome and Perth have been put on stand-by to receive the casualties, many of whom suffered severe burns.
Colin Barnett, the premier of Western Australia, said he believed those on board were responsible. He said: "It is understood that the refugees on the boat spread petrol and that ignited causing the explosion."
But neither Bob Debus, the Australian home affairs minister, nor Rear Admiral Alan du Toit, commander for border protection, confirmed this version of events and said their efforts were focused on the rescue operation.
The 49 people on board were all male and are thought to be from Afghanistan. The number includes some children.
It is the fourth refugee ship to reach Australian waters and the incident is sure to intensify the debate surrounding prime minister Kevin Rudd's more liberal immigration policies.
Mr Debus responded to angrily to an opposition statement blaming the government for today's events. He said: "I do assure that the Rudd government is not going to be playing politics out of these kind of incidents. We are going to give you the truth and we are going to report to you accurately what is going on."