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Australian police escort the asylum seekers back to shore - Source: APTN -
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A fire aboard an asylum seekers' boat that killed three people may have been an accident or deliberately lit - but it won't be known until an investigation has been concluded, Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus says.
Debus says he isn't about to speculate on the cause.
He said the government was not going to follow the former coalition government's example in speculating and politicising incidents involving asylum seeker vessels.
"We are simply not going to do that. We are not going to have our national reputation again besmirched by something like the children overboard affair," he told Sky News.
Debus said it was possible the vessel had been deliberately set on fire.
"Of course it's possible. It's either an accident or it was deliberate. Everybody can see that. The real question is to determine which was the actual situation," he said.
"We cannot do that until police have conducted an inquiry in the normal way."
The boat, carrying 47 suspected asylum seekers and two crew, exploded about 10.30am local time on Thursday, after it was intercepted off Ashmore Reef a day earlier.
Three people were killed and another two were missing after the blast. Another 31 asylum seekers were badly injured and were flown to the mainland for treatment.
Debus said 22 were being taken to Perth, eight - the most seriously injured - were sent to Darwin - and one was sent to Broome.
Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) state trauma director Dr Sudhakar Rao said three patients were undergoing surgery and one of the patients already at the hospital was in the intensive care unit.
Three defence personnel were less seriously injured.
Debus said the operation had been conducted according to standard procedure.
He said the plan had been to transfer those aboard the small vessel to a larger vessel and take them to Christmas Island.
"Nothing that I am so far aware of persuades me that we need, in fact, to change the exact procedures that are being used. They have been worked out over quite a few years now," he said.
"Our people have tremendous expertise."
Debus said the recent asylum seeker boat arrivals should be kept in perspective.
In 2007 and 2008, some 150-160 arrived in Australian waters by boat, with 250 arriving so far this year. In 2000, the total was nearly 6,000.
But last year 47,500 reached Italy, 15,000 reached Greece and 10,000 reached Spain.
"Around the world right now there is a very significant increase in the number of people moving," he said.
"They are seeking asylum in many countries. Of course, more developed countries like Australian or the countries of Europe are desirable destinations."
