Asylum seekers on the run in Qld after boat runs aground
UPDATE at 27 August, 8.00 AM | A group of suspected asylum seekers remain on the run in the crocodile-infested Daintree Rainforest this morning after an illegal fishing boat ran aground in far North Queensland.
The boat started taking on water near the mouth of the Daintree River near Cape Kimberley on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been reported at least 11 people have been detained, however the Australian Border Force have not confirmed how many remain in hiding.
Nine News reports the captured have since been treated by paramedics for fever and chills and transported to Cairns.
It’s understood to be the first asylum seeker boat to have made it to Australian waters since 2014.
MP George Christensen has since taken to social media to call for better border protection.
“With @PeterDutton_MP back as Home Affairs Minister, I am confident there will be a greater focus on border security in NQ. Qld borders need to be made more secure esp given proximity of PNG & Indonesia, considering level of radical Islamism in Indonesia, Malaysia & Philippines,” he tweeted.
WATCH:
A group of illegal immigrants are on the run in the croc-infested Daintree Rainforest. Border Force officials are desperately searching for them. #9Today pic.twitter.com/ZFZ2yYbkoA
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) August 26, 2018
EARLIER at 26 August, 8:00 PM | ELEVEN people have reportedly been detained after an illegal fishing boat – believed to be packed with asylum seekers – ran aground north of Cairns.
The boat starting taking on water near the mouth of the Daintree River near Cape Kimberley on Sunday afternoon.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, but early reports suggest as many as 40 people may have been on board the boat when it started sinking.
According to multiple reports, 11 men have so far been detained. They are all believed to be Vietnamese.
Up to 30 others are said to be hiding in mangroves in the Daintree Rainforest – an area infested with salt water crocodiles.
It’s understood Australian Border Force officers are on the scene, working with the Queensland Police Service.
FIRST at 6:30 PM | MORE than 20 suspected asylum seekers are reportedly on the run in Far North Queensland tonight after a boat ran aground north of Cairns.
The vessel is believed to have been carrying at least 27 people when it hit the coast near the mouth of the Daintree River at Cape Kimberley, about 100km north of Cairns, on Sunday afternoon.
Several people are said to have been detained, The Courier Mail reports, while the rest are believed to have fled into the Daintree Rainforest.
According to 7 News, authorities armed with sniffer dogs are tonight searching for the remainder of the crew.
If true, the boat is believed to be the first asylum seeker vessel to reach the Australian mainland in four years.
UPDATE: Eleven suspected asylum seekers have been detained, with up to thirty more still on the run in the Daintree Rainforest https://t.co/7H5DuNagyY
— The Australian (@australian) August 26, 2018
Sunken Vietnamese fishing trawler off the Mouth of the Daintree. Nine detained. Search underway for missing crew. #Daintree. @couriermail pic.twitter.com/Pakv4YpaSW
— Peter Michael (@petermichaelNQ) August 26, 2018
More than 20 illegal immigrants are on the run in Far North Queensland after a fishing boat they were on ran aground. 7 News understands locals helped bring the vessel ashore as the asylum seekers fled into rainforest at Cape Kimberley just north of the Daintree River. #7News pic.twitter.com/HJnOfBLhHk
— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) August 26, 2018
This is a breaking news story. No further information was available at the time of writing.
