The Immigration Department has confirmed what it describes as a "disturbance" at the Christmas Island detention centre, amid reports of rioting by the residents.
It follows the discovery by Federal Police of a man's body during a search for a detainee reported missing from the North-West Point detention facility before the weekend.
As Kristina Kukolja reports, a refugee advocacy group is calling for a full judicial inquiry into the death.
It's the latest in a series of deaths in immigration detention in Australian-run offshore and onshore facilities.
The Immigration Department has confirmed that Australian Federal Police found the body of a man outside Christmas Island's North-West Point detention centre on Sunday morning.
The Department says it was notified of the escape of a person it describes as "an illegal maritime arrival" the day before, on Saturday.
Advocacy group the Refugee Action Coalition has identified the man as an Iranian Kurdish refugee aged in his 30s, Fazel Chegeni, and says he was reported missing to staff on Friday.
Spokesman Ian Rintoulsays immigration authories should have acted sooner on reports of his disappearance.
"I think perhaps if there'd been a more concerted effort, I mean he has been missing and has been reported missing by his fellow detainees two days ago (as of Sunday), perhaps if there'd been a more concerted attempt to find him he wouldn't be dead. I just think it's one of the examples where, whether it's in detention, the whole thing is an instance where there has not been a proper duty of care to this man."
The circumstances surrounding the man's death are still unknown.
Christmas Island Shire President, Gordon Thomson, says he has tried to contact the Immigration Department for more information.
Mr Thomson told the ABC the Department has not been forthcoming with the details.
"I'm very sad to hear that someone's died. I want that recorded. I am very very disappointed that the Department has allowed rumour to spread through the community over the last three days, two and a half days, without providing any information about what underpins that rumour."
According to the Refugee Action Coalition, Fazel Chegeni had been at the Christmas Island centre for around ten weeks and had told fellow detainees he could no longer stand being in detention.
Ian Rintoul says Mr Chegeni was granted refugee status over two years ago, when he was being held at Curtin detention centre, in Western Australia.
Since arriving in Australia in 2010, he has also been detained at Wickham Point in Darwin, and in Melbourne.
Mr Rintoul is now calling for a full judicial inquiry into the case.
The Immigration Department says the matter is subject to a coronial inquiry.
Meanwhile, a man who says he is detained on Christmas Island has told SBS a riot has broken out, sparked by the weekend incident.
He says the rioters are mainly New Zealand nationals.
The man does not want his identity disclosed out of concerns for his safety.
"People are basically destroying everything that can be destroyed. The fires are going on in all the compounds. The medical centre has been destroyed, the canteen. Basically the place is a disaster zone. All the compounds have been smashed up, they've gone through the walls of the compound.. The SERCO officers have virtually left the site. There's no one around. In terms of security, there is none.That's why I am trying to stay away from everything and stay safe."
The Immigration Department has confirmed what it says is a "disturbance" at the Christmas Island detention centre.
In a statement, the Department says it is working with its service providers to resolve the situation.
It says no injuries have been reported, although there have been some reports of damage -- which are yet to be confirmed.
The Department says any criminal offences will be referred to police.
News first emerged online of unrest on Christmas Island, when a New Zealand MP, Kelvin Davis, said he'd been told that guards had abandoned the centre after a riot broke out among detainees.
New Zealanders awaiting deportation are also held at the Christmas Island centre, together with asylum seekers and refugees.
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