Police catch 12 more immigrant detention centre escapees

Police in Australia hunting illegal immigrants who escaped in a mass break-out from a remote desert detention centre caught 12 more of them, leaving 12 still on the run, a spokesman said today.

There were growing fears for the health of the 10 men and two boys still at large - temperatures in the desert around Woomera, a former missile-testing base in the Outback, dipped below freezing last night.

Police said it was possible the escapees have already been taken out of the desert region by supporters who helped them break out on Thursday.

Police said today they had scaled down their search, and were investigating only suspected sightings of the escapees.

‘‘They can’t keep helicopters up this long,’’ said police spokesman Colin Haigh.

He said the latest men to be caught were found near Port Augusta, about 200 120 miles south of Woomera, on Friday evening.

Soon after Thursday night’s break-out from Woomera camp, police put up roadblocks and used helicopters to hunt for the 35 illegal immigrants who fled after supporters outside tore down a razor wire-topped fence.

Police captured five of the escaped men shortly after the break out and six more in the opal mining town of Coober Pedy, around 190 miles north of Woomera on Friday.

Immigration officials have said all of those who escaped - 28 Afghans, six Iranians and one Iraqi - had had their visa applications rejected.

Meanwhile, a hunger strike by asylum seekers within the Woomera detention centre entered its seventh day today.

The Immigration Department said 120 detainees within the compound were refusing food. It was not clear why they were on hunger strike. In the past, asylum seekers held in Woomera have gone on hunger strike to protest their living conditions and the length of time authorities take to process their visa applications.

Police arrested four people on Friday for allegedly assisting in the escape.