Friday, September 20, 2024

Baghdad

Urgent – Iraqi migrants to Australia sank off

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) A boat carrying migrants, among them Iraqis, heading to Australia sank off the Indonesian coast on Friday, killing at least 21 people, Indonesian police said.

According to information collected by Iraqi News on Saturday morning from different sources, “About 80 passengers from Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan and Iraq were onboard of the boat which was heading from Cianjur Island, West Java, of Indonesia to Christmas Island of Australia on Friday.”

Indonesian media reported “Each of the migrants have paid USD 10,000 to be smuggled into Australia,” noting that “28 survivors had been rescued.”

Yet, there was no official confirmation of the number of the Iraqis drowned in the incident.