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Vehicle Accident in Other on Thursday, 21 June, 2012 at 08:44 (08:44 AM) UTC.
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A boat carrying up to 200 asylum seekers has capsized north of Christmas Island this afternoon. Australian searchers have seen survivors in the water with merchant ships racing to the scene of the disaster 120 nautical miles north of Christmas Island. The asylum seekers on the boat, which remains largely intact, are understood to be mainly from Sri Lanka. Today's tragedy came after the arrival of another vessel, this one with 117 people, bringing this month's arrivals to 18, and the number of people arriving to 11-hundred-and-eight The boat has overturned in Indonesian waters and the Australian Government has offered assistance. A spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Search and Rescue Authority confirmed survivors had been spotted. “There are survivors, we cannot confirm numbers at this stage,” she said. Two Australian patrol boats are heading to the scene as well as a P3 aircraft. Customs also confirmed the vessel was in the Indonesian search and rescue Region. Indonesia's BASARNAS was the lead authority for coordinating search and rescue efforts, while ASMA was organising the Australian end. "Customs and Border Protection and Defence assets are being deployed," Customs said in a statement. This included a Defence aircraft equipped with life rafts, a Customs maritime surveillance aircraft, and two Armidale class patrol boats, HMAS Larrakia and HMAS Wollongong. A number of civilian vessels were also responding. The stricken vessel was spotted about 3pm this afternoon by a Customs surveillance plane.
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