The death toll from the sinking of an Australia-bound asylum seeker boat off Indonesia's main Java island rose to 28 on Sunday, with many more still feared missing, police said.
"We found seven more bodies after sweeping the coast this morning, six adults and a boy," Warsono, police chief in the Agrabinta area of Java, where the boat went down, told AFP.
He said the death toll from the accident was now 28.
But officials fear that many more are still missing after the boat carrying would-be refugees from Lebanon, Jordan and Yemen broke into pieces and sank in rough seas south of Java on Friday.
It was the first deadly asylum boat accident since Tony Abbott became Australia's prime minister earlier this month.
It came ahead of his state visit to Indonesia, which begins Monday, where his tough boatpeople policies are likely to be the focus of talks.
About 20 police, military and search and rescue officials were sweeping the coast around Agrabinta in West Java province in the hunt for survivors or bodies.
Sunday 29 September 2013
http://www.news24.com/World/News/Many-still-missing-in-ferry-accident-20130929
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