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Packed boat capsizes near Australian island

A boat carrying around 150 asylum seekers capsized in the Indian Ocean, spilling men, women and infants into rough waters and killing four people, Australian officials said on Wednesday. The boat rolled over on Tuesday in choppy seas 125 kilometres north of Christmas Island, home affairs minister Jason Clare told reporters. The island is 500 kilometers south of Jakarta.

Two navy ships had been sent to assist the vessel earlier in the day, but rescue crews were unable to board as waves reached as high as four metres. The navy ships instead began escorting the boat to Christmas Island, where Australia operates a detention camp for asylum seekers. Shortly after, the boat rolled and capsized.
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