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Asylum boat sinks off Australian coast

A boat carying migrants has sunk off the coast of Australia, with at least 13 people confirmed dead.

Searches are still ongoing, however no survivors have yet been found. The boat sunk around 120km off Christmas Island and is thought to have had 55 people on board.

The Australian air force spotted the boat on Wednesday but it had disappeared by the next day. A search was launched for the boat, and bodies were found on Friday and Saturday.

The country of origin of the asylum seekers is not yet known, but refugees from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan often make the dangerous journey across the sea to Australia.

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