Boat carrying 150 people sinks near Australia

A boat carrying an estimated 150 people has sunk north of Christmas Island, Australian officials say, a week after an asylum-seeker boat sank in the area. The (BBC) quoted the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) as saying that the boat sent a distress call early on Wednesday. Two merchant vessels were at the scene and working to rescue people from the water, AMSA said. "A merchant vessel arrived on scene at approximately 1030 AEST (0230 GMT). That vessel has advised us that the vessel has sunk and persons are in the water," AMSA said. There were survivors in the water, AMSA said, although numbers were not available, and conditions were ''fair, not ideal''. An image of the vessel, taken before it sank by one of the merchant vessels at the scene and released by AMSA, showed people crowded on the deck of the boat. Last week, a boat carrying asylum-seekers sank off Christmas Island, which is part of Australian territory. The boat was believed to have been carrying about 200 people. A total of 110 people were rescued and 17 bodies were found. The search for survivors was called off late on Saturday.