Back off from boat investigation: police

Police have warned political leaders and media commentators to back off, saying
interference and speculation could compromise their investigations into the
asylum-seeker disaster.
Angry Northern Territory Police, leading the probe into the fatal boat blast at
Ashmore Reef, on Monday rejected any suggestion of a cover up.
"Speculation and claims of a cover up are disappointing," Acting Commander Peter
Bravos, who is heading the territory's investigation, told reporters in Darwin on
Monday.
The pointed statement came a day after federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull
said the government could face accusations of a cover up unless it gave details of
how the boat blew up, causing the deaths of five asylum seekers and injuring dozens
more.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has also come under fire for saying in the
hours after Thursday's explosion that he'd been informed asylum seekers on the boat
spread petrol which then ignited "causing the explosion".
Mr Bravos made clear he would not tolerate any further attempts to politicise their
investigation.
"Five people have lost their lives and we will not be responding to or be influenced
by rumour," he said.
"Speculation has the ability to compromise the investigation.
"A public inquest will be held where all information will be canvassed."
In a later statement, he added: "This is a police matter, and recognition of such by
government and government agencies is appreciated".
The government has said only that the explosion was fuel-related and that it would
not speculate on the cause, which was up to investigators to determine.
Mr Bravos said Northern Territory Police were yet to begin interviewing the
survivors - 42 asylum seekers believed to be from Afghanistan, and two Indonesian
crew.
Dozens of the survivors remain in hospital in Darwin, Perth and Brisbane. They
include several who remain in critical condition with horrific burns.
Others who received minor burns are due for release from hospital, into the custody
of immigration officials, as early as Tuesday.
Mr Bravos said an investigative team at Ashmore Reef had started interviews with
Customs and Border Protection personnel and had seized debris following Thursday's
explosion.
They are expected back in Darwin with the debris and statements later this week.
Burns specialist Fiona Wood and Mark Duncan-Smith, who've been treating some of the
injured at Royal Perth Hospital, said some were doing well and were up and about.
But others remained very ill. On Monday, two patients in the intensive care unit
were still listed as critical but stable condition.
Professor Wood said it had not yet been established where the patients would undergo
rehabilitation, and Customs officials had not yet spoken to the 22 Afghans and one
Indonesian treated in Perth.
In Darwin, three survivors are doing well enough that they may be released to
immigration officials on Tuesday, Royal Darwin Hospital general manager Dr Len
Notaras said.
He said the men, aged from their late teens to mid 40s, had been through a lot over
the past few days.
"Seeing the individuals arrive the first day in the early hours of Friday morning,
all they had was the tattered singed clothing they were wearing, and a look of
tragedy of whatever had occurred," Dr Notaras told reporters.
"It was one of those moving moments that brings a lump of sadness into your throat.
They will have very little apart from some scars to remember this."
The hospital's head of surgery David Read said the nine survivors under his care had
a good outlook for recovery.
Meanwhile, four asylum seekers in critical condition in Brisbane face more surgery
this week.
Doctors at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital say there has been no change in
the condition of any of the seven people they are treating.
Four with very serious burns remain critical in intensive care, having developed
blood infections. The others are stable.
Burns surgeon Michael Muller said the asylum seekers' poor physical conditions
increased the risk of infection when they were injured.