Another boat is sinking
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...christmas-island/story-fn9hm1gu-1226409942824
Rescue launched as new asylum-seeker boat carrying upt to 150 capsizes off Christmas Island
ONE week after up to 90 asylum-seekers perished, authorities are responding to another major disaster at sea with a rescuer confirming a second asylum boat carrying 150 people has capsized north of Christmas island.
One merchant vessel is on the scene attempting to rescue survivors and Defence boats and P3 surveillance planes are at least two hours away.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed to The Australian a capsized boat has been located 107 nautical miles north of Christmas Island.
A major rescue operation is now underway.
A spokeswoman for AMSA said survivors were clinging to the hull of the upturned boat.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority confirmed to The Australian Defence and merchant vessels were sailing towards the site of the boat carrying up to 150 people, which is reported to be 107 nautical miles north of Christmas Island.
A spokeswoman for AMSA said the Australian Federal Police received a satellite phone call from somebody on the boat at 6.20am.
The spokeswoman said those aboard the boat claimed the vessel was in distress, however it is not known what the nature of the emergency was.
According to the report ''up to 150 people'' could be on board.
One merchant vessel is already on the scene, the AMSA spokeswoman said.
The vessel has reportedly sighted ''a number'' of boats in the vicinity, including fishing boats, but none that appear to be foundering.
Details were sketchy, but it appears authorities have yet to sight the vessel, nor is it clear how many were on board.
Unconfirmed reports off Christmas Island suggested the boat may have been taking on water. It is understood the boat was overloaded with Afghans.
The new arrival comes as signs emerged in Canberra of a possible breakthrough on the political impasse over asylum-seeker policy.
More than 40 MPs from all sides of politics have joined a cross-parliamentary group demanding a compromise solution to the nation's border protection crisis.
The growing cross-parliamentary group met today and will release a statement this afternoon.
The incident comes one week to the day after a boat carrying more than 200 people capsized 200 nautical miles north of Christmas Island on its way to Australia.
The tragedy, which claimed up to 90 lives, reignited the political debate over offshore processing, heaping pressure on both sides of politics to do a deal to restore some sort of deterrent.