ID :
182941
Wed, 05/18/2011 - 14:16
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/182941
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Christmas Island tragedy inquest begins
(AAP) - The captain of the Indonesian fishing vessel that broke apart on rocks at Christmas Island carrying about 89 asylum seekers had abandoned the boat a day earlier, a coronial inquest has heard.
The inquest into the Christmas Island tragedy on December 15 last year which resulted in the deaths of 30 Iraqi and Iranian men, women and children and the likely deaths of 20 more began before Coroner Alastair Hope on Wednesday.
Counsel assisting the coroner Malcolm McCusker QC told the inquest the asylum seekers were picked up from hotels in Jakarta on December 12 and taken to a remote location where they boarded two boats which transported them to the wooden fishing vessel out at sea.
Mr McCusker said the asylum seekers were told the boat was "ship-shape, that everything was organised and that everything would be supplied".
However, according to some passengers the crew provided no safety instructions or advice of what to do in an emergency, and there were only 20 to 30 life jackets, which Mr McCusker said "was nowhere near enough for all passengers".
One of the three crew members on board, Abdul Rasjid, a fisherman, has given a statement saying he knew the captain and had been paid a deposit of one million rupiahs ($A11,750) to go on the boat, Mr McCusker said.
"He had been promised 20 million rupiahs ($A221,500), a large sum of money for a fisherman," he said.
Rasjid said he was told by the captain to steer the boat 170 degrees on the compass but did not know what direction he was going.
"On the Tuesday afternoon (a day before the crash) while he was asleep, he was woken by the captain who told him to continue the journey, as he was going home to organise payment to the family of the crew," Mr McCusker said.
"He was given few directions and was told that in about five hours he would reach his destination.
"Before the captain left, Rasjid asked him what the condition of the engine was. He was told it was in good condition."
But the engine, which passengers described as similar to a tractor engine, stopped as soon as the captain left, Mr McCusker said.
The engine had become submerged, prompting the crew and passengers to start bailing out water for about an hour until it restarted.
As the vessel reached Christmas Island at about 2am on December 15, a phone call was received from the people smuggler who had organised the trip.
"That main person gave instructions that the passengers should throw their mobile phones, passports and GPS into the water. Most of the passengers complied," Mr McCusker said.
Water began filling up the engine room until the engine failed, and severe weather and big swell began pushing the boat towards the rocks at Rocky Point.
After the engine failed, Rasjid said "they could not do anything, just gathered and prayed".
Witnesses on Christmas Island have recalled seeing black smoke coming from the boat's exhaust stack and a strong smell of diesel.
Many also said they were awoken to yelling and screaming coming from the vessel as many people were thrown into the water.
Mr McCusker said the engine of the vessel was not deliberately turned off or tampered with.
The engine was recovered. A mechanical report obtained by WA Police found there was no internal damage and the engine had not been running when the boat sank due to a lack of fuel in the injection pump. The inquest continues.
The inquest into the Christmas Island tragedy on December 15 last year which resulted in the deaths of 30 Iraqi and Iranian men, women and children and the likely deaths of 20 more began before Coroner Alastair Hope on Wednesday.
Counsel assisting the coroner Malcolm McCusker QC told the inquest the asylum seekers were picked up from hotels in Jakarta on December 12 and taken to a remote location where they boarded two boats which transported them to the wooden fishing vessel out at sea.
Mr McCusker said the asylum seekers were told the boat was "ship-shape, that everything was organised and that everything would be supplied".
However, according to some passengers the crew provided no safety instructions or advice of what to do in an emergency, and there were only 20 to 30 life jackets, which Mr McCusker said "was nowhere near enough for all passengers".
One of the three crew members on board, Abdul Rasjid, a fisherman, has given a statement saying he knew the captain and had been paid a deposit of one million rupiahs ($A11,750) to go on the boat, Mr McCusker said.
"He had been promised 20 million rupiahs ($A221,500), a large sum of money for a fisherman," he said.
Rasjid said he was told by the captain to steer the boat 170 degrees on the compass but did not know what direction he was going.
"On the Tuesday afternoon (a day before the crash) while he was asleep, he was woken by the captain who told him to continue the journey, as he was going home to organise payment to the family of the crew," Mr McCusker said.
"He was given few directions and was told that in about five hours he would reach his destination.
"Before the captain left, Rasjid asked him what the condition of the engine was. He was told it was in good condition."
But the engine, which passengers described as similar to a tractor engine, stopped as soon as the captain left, Mr McCusker said.
The engine had become submerged, prompting the crew and passengers to start bailing out water for about an hour until it restarted.
As the vessel reached Christmas Island at about 2am on December 15, a phone call was received from the people smuggler who had organised the trip.
"That main person gave instructions that the passengers should throw their mobile phones, passports and GPS into the water. Most of the passengers complied," Mr McCusker said.
Water began filling up the engine room until the engine failed, and severe weather and big swell began pushing the boat towards the rocks at Rocky Point.
After the engine failed, Rasjid said "they could not do anything, just gathered and prayed".
Witnesses on Christmas Island have recalled seeing black smoke coming from the boat's exhaust stack and a strong smell of diesel.
Many also said they were awoken to yelling and screaming coming from the vessel as many people were thrown into the water.
Mr McCusker said the engine of the vessel was not deliberately turned off or tampered with.
The engine was recovered. A mechanical report obtained by WA Police found there was no internal damage and the engine had not been running when the boat sank due to a lack of fuel in the injection pump. The inquest continues.
