Immigrants evacuated in Australia

Dozens of illegal immigrants were evacuated from part of a detention centre on the edge of Australia’s Outback early today after an apparent arson attack set their compound ablaze, an Immigration Department spokesman said.

Six detainees at the Baxter detention centre in the south Australian town of Port Augusta were treated for smoke inhalation and one of them was hospitalized.

“Details of how and why the fire started are unclear at this stage,” said Immigration Department spokesman David Seale. “However, it appears it was deliberately lit.”

He said the department could not confirm reports of rioting around the time of the fire but said there was "some commotion".

Seale said about 250 people were being held in the detention centre while arrangements are made for their removal from Australia. Some are people whose asylum applications have been rejected by authorities while others have been caught staying in the country longer than their visa allowed.