SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Two boat survivors flown to Perth

Two female survivors of the refugee boat accident off Christmas Island have been flown to a Perth hospital in a serious condition.

boat_tragedy_xmas_island_101216_L_aap_1535788930

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

The Perth Royal Flying Doctor Service flew the two women to the Royal Perth Hospital yesterday.

"We brought the most serious two patients back," Dr David McIlroy told ABC Radio.

"One lady with abdominal injuries, one lady with lung injuries probably from inhaling sea water and a bit of diesel."

He said many of the remaining injured people were treated by medical services on Christmas Island.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

At least 28 people, including children, died when their wooden vessel foundered in treacherous conditions near Flying Fish Cove on Wednesday morning.

There are 44 confirmed survivors. Eleven of the survivors are children.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says it is still not clear how many people were on the boat. "People who have survived say there were between 70 and 100," he told Melbourne MTR.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world