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| Suspected asylum seeker boat spotted near the coast of Western Australia | Suspected asylum seeker boat spotted near the coast of Western Australia |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A small boat believed to be carrying asylum seekers has been spotted near the coast of Western Australia. | A small boat believed to be carrying asylum seekers has been spotted near the coast of Western Australia. |
| The boat was sighted around dawn on Monday by the crew of an oil tanker near Dampier on the Pilbara coast, about 1,500km north of Perth. | The boat was sighted around dawn on Monday by the crew of an oil tanker near Dampier on the Pilbara coast, about 1,500km north of Perth. |
| The tanker was monitoring an oil rig operated by engineering company Modec on the north-west shelf, about 78 nautical miles, or 145km, from the coast. Gary Kennedy, Modec’s operations manager in Australia, told Guardian Australia that the crew of the tanker noticed the small boat when it went inside the 500 metre exclusion zone around the oil rig. | The tanker was monitoring an oil rig operated by engineering company Modec on the north-west shelf, about 78 nautical miles, or 145km, from the coast. Gary Kennedy, Modec’s operations manager in Australia, told Guardian Australia that the crew of the tanker noticed the small boat when it went inside the 500 metre exclusion zone around the oil rig. |
| Related: Joel Fitzgibbon: Labor should consider adopting asylum boat turnbacks policy | Related: Joel Fitzgibbon: Labor should consider adopting asylum boat turnbacks policy |
| “I can’t confirm that it was a refugee boat, but there were a number of people on board,” Kennedy said. | |
| “From looking at the vessel the people seemed to be in good health and high spirits.” | “From looking at the vessel the people seemed to be in good health and high spirits.” |
| Kennedy said the tanker’s crew contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which was sending a search plane to check on the boat. | Kennedy said the tanker’s crew contacted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), which was sending a search plane to check on the boat. |
| He said the crew of the oil tanker had not made contact with the boat, which he said appeared to be in good condition. | He said the crew of the oil tanker had not made contact with the boat, which he said appeared to be in good condition. |
| The ABC is reporting that a WA police boat has been diverted from a search for three missing fishermen on the Dampier Peninsula to head toward the suspected asylum seeker vessel. | The ABC is reporting that a WA police boat has been diverted from a search for three missing fishermen on the Dampier Peninsula to head toward the suspected asylum seeker vessel. |
| AMSA said it was not authorised to comment on the incident, and referred calls to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. A spokeswoman for the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said it did not comment on operational matters. | AMSA said it was not authorised to comment on the incident, and referred calls to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. A spokeswoman for the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said it did not comment on operational matters. |
| In 2013, the crew of the same oil and gas rig spotted a boat carrying 17 Vietnamese asylum seekers. According to reports at the time, the passengers were the last group of asylum seekers to be processed on Christmas Island before the Rudd government implemented its Papua New Guinea solution. | In 2013, the crew of the same oil and gas rig spotted a boat carrying 17 Vietnamese asylum seekers. According to reports at the time, the passengers were the last group of asylum seekers to be processed on Christmas Island before the Rudd government implemented its Papua New Guinea solution. |