Asylum seekers killed in Australia as boat smashes into rocks
A wooden boat packed with dozens of asylum seekers smashed apart on jagged rocks in heavy seas off an Australian island today, flinging screaming women and children into churning water and sending many to their deaths.
Christmas Island residents on cliffs above watched in horror as the boat broke apart with a crack, dumping passengers into huge waves that pounded them against the rocks. Rescue efforts are under way and officials said it is not yet clear how many people were killed.
