WATULIMO, Indonesia -- Indonesian rescuers found 15 more survivors on Monday (December 19th) after an over-capacity boat carrying 200 asylum seekers bound for Australia sunk off the coast of Java on Saturday.
Two of the thirteen found are suspected crew members who abandoned the sinking ship, taking life vests with them, survivors recounted.
There was little hope of finding survivors after Saturday, as rescuers called it the "largest loss of life" yet from a people-smuggling mission.
The new survivors found bring the total to 47. They said they were heading to Australia's Christmas Island when their boat was hit by a storm.
The migrants, mostly Pakistanis, Iraqis, Turks and Saudis, said they paid agents $2,500 to $5,000 to seek asylum in Australia. The Australian newspaper reported Haji Ismail, an associate of trafficking kingpin Sayed Abbas, was believed to be behind this latest incident.
Australia's home affairs minister, Jason Clare, said Monday that only combined regional efforts could combat this recurring problem.
Thousands of asylum-seekers head through Southeast Asia on their way to Australia every year.
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