4 Nov 2011

Passengers begged to be taken ashore before boat sank

10:30 am on 4 November 2011

A survivor of the asylum seeker boat incident off the coast of Indonesia says passengers begged the captain to take them back to shore before it sank.

Eight people died when the nine-metre wooden boat, which was carrying about 60 asylum seekers, started taking on water off the coast of west Java on Tuesday morning.

Iranian asylum seeker Milad Mirshafili, one of the 48 survivors, says the passengers did not trust the small boat and feared for their lives.

The ABC reports he paid $US9000 hoping to get safe passage for him, his wife and his daughter to Australia.

When the boat started sinking, he was separated from them and four hours later discovered that his daughter had died.

Mr Mirshafili has told the ABC they pleaded for the captain to take them back to the coast, but he pointed to where the shore was and said they could swim.

Mr Mirshafili says he has lost everything but he is still desperate to start a new life in Australia.

No bodies have been found since Tuesday night and the search is not continuing.

The ABC reports that passengers who survived are now in the hands of Indonesian immigration authorities, who consider them illegal immigrants.

Police say they have arrested the boat's three crew members and investigators are preparing a case for prosecutors.